CRMJ 4010 — Community Policing and Public Trust
Community policing is a decentralized approach to law enforcement that focuses on community engagement and problem solving to reduce crime. Crime may be reduced by proactively identifying and addressing conditions that cultivate social disorder and crime. The student will examine concepts, ideals, theories, strategies, and practicalities of community policing. Community policing focuses on solving problems, demands an appreciation of the diversity within the community, reflects police accountability to the community as an active partner in achieving safe neighborhoods, and measures success in terms of reduction of both community fear of crime and crime itself. Community policing strives to use community relations strategies to influence attitudes towards and improve relationships with the community. Community policing strives to promote public safety, officer safety, and public trust. The student will examine how organizational structure, policies, and procedures can reflect the community policing ideals and strategies. (3 lect.)