COMMUNITY

ORIENTED POLICING
SYSTEM
Community Oriented Policing
 a philosophy of full service, personalized
and decentralized policing, where citizens
feel empowered to work in a proactive
efforts with the police in solving the
problems of crimes, fear of crimes,
disorder, decay, and quality of life. It
broadens the nature and manner of policing,
thus it emphasizes organizational change,
active problem solving and external
partnership to address issues that concern
both the police and the public.
 In Community Oriented Policing System,
there are three equally important elements
and core components which are most
complex and difficult to implement on the
ground. These three equally core
components must be orchestrated, balanced
and synergized, in order for the COPS be
effective when implemented on the ground
Three equally core components of
Community Oriented Policing
system:
 I. Full service Policing
 the police shall simultaneously perform
crime deterrence drives to secure the
community against crimes and other
lawlessness. Crime prevention, suppression
and deterrence drives shall all be proactive
approaches in combating crimes
 II. Community partnership
 the police and the citizens must work
together to identify and address community
crimes and disorder problems.
 It includes:
1. Positive Relationship with the community
2. Community involvement in the quest for
better crime control and prevention
3. Pooled approaches to address
community’s most urgent concern
4. Shared responsibility for finding workable
solution to problems that detract from
community safety and security.
 Four Keys to the Community
Partnership:
 COMMUNITY CONTACT – must be meaningful.
The officer should have specific reasons for
meeting with the citizen.
 COMMUNICATION – must be sincere. The
officer and citizen should have specific
problems or concerns and be committed in
doing something for the solutions.
 TRUST – will occur when the citizen believes
that the officer sincerely wants to make the
community safer
 INFORMATION EXCHANGE - the officer and
the citizen will exchange valuable
information about problems, symptoms or
causes of crimes and disorder.
“POLICING IS NECESSARY TO
MAINTAIN AN ORDERLY
SOCIETY”
III. Problem Solving
 – is the process of carefully studying crime
and disorder in a small geographically
defined areas so that appropriate resources
can be applied to reduce crime and disorder.
 Officer must develop a sense of responsibility
and concern of the area. He must:
 Learn the service needs and demands in that area;
 Device ways to manage information gleaned from
various community sources;
 Learn how to identify crimes and disorder problems
and distinguished them from incidents;
 Develop plans with citizens to address crimes and
disorder problems; and
 Work with citizens to assess the results of their
efforts.
 The Problem solving approach represents a
significant evolutionary steps in helping law
enforcement to work NOT only HARDER but
also SMARTER and FASTER, it provide:
 INCREASE OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS – by
attacking underlying problems that gives rise to
incidents that consume patrol and detective time
 RELIANCE ON THE EXPERTISE AND CREATIVITY OF
LINE OFFICERS – to study problem carefully and
develop innovative solutions
 CLOSER INVOLVEMENT WITH COMMUNITY - to
make sure that the police are addressing the
needs of the community.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGY
(S.A.R.A.)
 SCANNING - define problems in a more precise and
useful terms
 ANALYSIS- Collect information from the public and
private sources, not only relying on police data, then
analyze its causes for presentation of the course of
action
 RESPONSE – work with citizen, business, private and
public agencies and tailor program of actions
suitable to the characteristics and the conditions of
the problems
 ASSESSMENT – evaluate the impact/implications of
the course of actions undertaken if the problem were
actually solved.
Four Basic Principles in Problem
Solving:
 INFORMATION – Encourage use of broad range
of information not limited to conventional
police data.
 RESPONSE – Encourage citizens to provide
information as part of their responsibilities
 REPRODUCTIVITY – The system must be one
that any police station could apply.
 PARTICIPATION – the policemen from all units
must be able to use the procedures in
problem solving as part of their daily routine.
C.O.P.S. PROGRAM COMPONENTS;

 1. Community Based crime prevention

through neighbourhood watch
 2. Proactive non-emergency police services
 3. Police accountability to local community
 4. Decentralization of command to gain
operational flexibility needed to shape police
strategies to particular area. C.O.P.S. implies
that smaller and more local is better,
considering that communities have
different policing priorities and problems.
Policing must be adaptable to the area. To
accomplish this, subordinate commanders
must be given freedom to act according to
their own assessment of the local conditions.
 principles of community policing
1.The basic mission of police existence is to
prevent crimes.
2. The ability of the police to perform their
duties is dependent upon public approval of
the police actions
3. The police should secure the willing of the
public in voluntary observance of the law
to be able to secure and maintain the
respect of the public
4. The degree of the cooperation of the public
that can be secured diminishes
proportionate to the necessity of the use of
physical force.
5. Police seek and preserve public favor not catering for
the public opinion but by constantly demonstrating
absolute impartial to the service of the law.
6. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to
secure observance of the law or to restore order only
when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning
is found insufficient.
7. Police at all times should maintain a relationship
with the public that give reality to the historic
tradition that the police are the public and the public
are the police the police being only the members of
the public who are paid to give full-time attention to
duties which are incumbent on every citizen on the
interests of community welfare and existence
8. Police should always direct their actions
strictly towards their functions and never
appear to usurp the powers of the
judiciary.
9. The tests of police efficiency is the absence
of crime and disorder, not the visible
evidence of police action in dealing with it.
PHASES OF COMMUNITY
ORIENTED POLICING
SYSTEM
OPERATIONALIZATION
I. Community Needs Assessment
 determining the peace and order, public
safety and other related problems and
corresponding aspirations of the community
and its perceptions and expectations of the
police which could be done through
collection and analysis of information.
 Tools/Sources of Information:
 Surveys and interviews –
 Public fora and community meetings
 Local mass media
 Involvement of various schools, churches,
business circles NGO, and other sectors in the
community.
The type of information that should be
collected are those that reflects and
describes the concerns and desires of the
community pertaining to peace and order,
public safety and other related concerns
II. Estimate of the Situation
 identification and consideration of all
elements and aspects of the situation in the
locality that affects/influences the
operationalization of COPS and the
satisfaction of community needs. (This is
more comprehensive compared to phase I, in
terms of scope, and more detailed)
III. Formulation of COPS-ified unit
Structure and Deployment Scheme

31
Three steps in formulation COPS-
ified Units:
 1. Conduct internal assessment of the unit.
 Study the staff/resource utilization by
determining the minimum number of personnel
and resources required
 Find out for additional/forthcoming
staff/resources from higher headquarters/local
government units/countrywide development fund
 Determine the available and lacking staff
capabilities especially the number of trained
officers needed,
 Take note of the image/credibility and
acceptability of the local police unit in the
community as determined in phase I.
 2. Determine the COPSified Unit Structure –
determining the number of OSG and other
offices through the results of internal
assessment.
 3. Formulate the activation/Manning Scheme
– to establish with the order of priority as to
which CPUs and/or OSGs shall be activated
and manned first, as the needed staff
capability and resources are available.
 IV. Resources Mobilization and
Capability Build Up

 Preparation for the implementation shall be

undertaken in terms of resource mobilization
and capability build up.
 Resource Mobilization

 the process whereby the needed manpower

and resources are generated for the purpose
of implementing the COPS, including the
support for capability build up.
 Resource Mobilization
 Select the qualified personnel who shall undergo the
COPS officers training course after a consultation
with the community
 Request for the follow up of additional staff and
resources from higher headquarters.
 Obtain funds and other resources of local government
units, the countrywide development funds of solons,
PCSO, PAGCOR.
 Utilize the private sectors, especially the
businessmen, homeowner associations, civic clubs,
NGOs, etc.
 Solicit donations in cash or in kind from
foreign/international entities such as vehicles and
the likes
 Seek other sources and donors as necessary.
 Capability Build Up

 the process whereby outfit is empowered to

implement its COPS-ified unit structure and
Activation/Manning Scheme and eventually
perform the core components of COPS
 Capability Build Up
 Training/re-orientation of selected personnel on COPS and allied subjects
 Address/resolve the problems/defects and expectations from the police
by the community in phase I such as conduct of self-critiquing and values
formation seminar/workshops among personnel of the unit. Priority
emphasis should be focused on image, the credibility/trustworthiness and
acceptability.
 Scout and negotiate for the availability of suitable vacant buildings, open
spaces and the like to serve as CPUs bases or Post/Centers
 Acquisition through donation or loan for procurement of equipage for
CPUs
 Undertake organizational development such as
decentralization/delegation of authority/responsibility, revision of SOPs
and doctrines
 Others as appropriate.
 V. Operationalization of COPS

 Implementation of core components shall

begin by the return of trained COPS officers
and by the availability of the needed
resources.
 Operationalization of COPS
 Activation/Manning of CPUs
 Manned by personnel trained on COPS preferably
have the trust/confidence/sympathy of the
community to be served and protected.
 Community Oriented Policing of the station
should make sure NOT for reduce # of personnel
and equipage of the activated CPUs
 Emphasized that COPS has a long gestation and
its success shall depend mainly on the building
and development of community partnership with
the police
 Observe principle of sustainability
 Operationalization of COPS
 Implementation of Core Components
 CPUshall immediately work and implement the
core components of COPS, that is, FULL SERVICE
POLICING, PROBLEM SOLVING and COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP.
 VI. Monitoring/Evaluation and
Enhancement
 To ensure the proper implementation of
COPS and its eventual success.
 Monitoring shall be done with sustainability
to determine what have been accomplished
so far by whom, when and how; and what are
not accomplished by whom and why?
 For monitoring purposes the following
tools/mechanisms maybe available
 Monitoring/Evaluation and
Enhancement
Preferably in combination
 Inspection/walk-around this should be done on the
spot or unannounced, to see what is really going on
the ground.
 Third party/Incognito tests and observations – ask
friends to visit CPUs and test/observe how the
personnel shall respond
 Surveys and Interviews of Community Members – get
feedback from the clientele through incognito/third
party surveys and interview.
 Tri-media reports/opinions/columns – watch/listen to
and read tri media
 CPU Reports should be analyzed and evaluated.
 Evaluation
 to determine if the program on the overall is
succeeding or failing; and be able to
determine the gains/losses, strong/weak
points, ahead/behind schedule,
performers/non-performers./used and the
degree of economy attained in their
allocation
 Criteria for evaluation:

 EFFECTIVENESS
 refersto the degree of community satisfaction
and the overall impact on the state of peace and
order, public safety and the quality of life
brought about by COPS operationalization in the
community.
 Criteria for evaluation:

 EFFICIENCY
 measure of the percentage of mobilizeable
resources actually mobilized/used and the
degree of economy attained in their
allocation/utilization.
 Criteria for evaluation:

 EQUITY
 measure of the degree of fulfilment of
democratic norms of equal access to police
services by all citizens, equal treatment of all
individuals by the police, equal distribution of
police services and resources among the
communities.
 Criteria for evaluation:

 ENHANCEMENT
 Processof putting back on course, fast-tracking
ironing out kinks and the like in order to enhance
the implementation and ensure the success of
COPS, The results of the evaluation shall serve as
the basis for this undertaking.
The following shall be done:
 Maintain or sustain the successful elements
or aspects
 Maintain or reduce the failing /dysfunctional
elements/aspects like replacing immediately
lazy, untrustworthy, problematic COPS
officers
 Fast-track or adjust the defective
elements/aspects
 Weed out the incorrigible/negating
elements/aspects, like purging the misfits
and scalawags from the police service.
 Others as appropriate.
 VII. Institutionalization
 Measures to be instituted:
 Sustain the momentum of the implementation – keep the
COPS officers inspired and motivated, and maintain the
enthusiasm and spirit of volunteerism among members of
the community
 Preserve, consolidate and institutionalize the gains –
strengthen the community partnership, build and nurture
mutual respects, trust and sympathy between COPS
officers and the community; promote and institutionalize
the principle of Mutual Utility that COPS officers and
community members mutually needs each other.
 Combat ningas kogon tendency maňana habit, bahala
attitude, and other disadvantages tendencies, which are
prevalent among Filipinos.
 Keep the COPS especially its Core Components, dynamic to
be always attuned with times and be responsive to the
changing needs of the community.
GOAL OF COMMUNITY POLICING
 to reduce crime and disorder by carefully
examining the characteristics of problems in
neighbourhood and then applying
appropriate problem solving remedies.
 Strategies in Community Policing:
 Police visibility
 Increase access to the police by the people in
the community
 Increase predictability of policemen on
specific beats
POLICE VISIBILITY
Ways of carrying out strategies
 the police need to establish neighbourhood
management teams composed of the
residents and the police to:
 Identify problems
 Set priorities
 Recommend action
 Evaluate the results of problem solving
strategies
GOAL OF COMMUNITY POLICING
 to reduce crime and disorder by carefully
examining the characteristics of problems in
neighbourhood and then applying
appropriate problem solving remedies.
 Strategies in Community Policing:
 Police visibility
 Increase access to the police by the people in
the community
 Increase predictability of policemen on
specific beats
COMMUNITY POLICING PRINCIPLES
 1. Philosophy and a Strategy – both a
philosophy and an organizational strategy.
That allows the police and community
residents to work closely together in new
ways to solve the problems of crimes, fear of
crimes, disorder decay and quality of life. It
is the belief that law-abiding people in the
community deserve input into the police
process, in exchange for their participation
and support.
 2. Requires implementation by all police
personnel – as an organizational strategy first
demands that everyone in the department,
including both NUP and uniformed personnel
a must investigate ways to translate the
philosophy into practice.
 3. Requires a new type of police officers, the
Community Policing officer – police
department and to create and develop a
new breed of line officers who will act as the
direct link between the police unit and the
community
 4. The CPO’s should work with volunteers –
demands continuous, sustained contact with
the law abiding people in the community, so
that together they can explore or create new
solutions to local concerns involving crime,
fear of crimes, disorder, decay and even
quality of life.
 5. Introduces a different kind of relationship
between officers and citizens – implies a new
contact between the police and the public,
the police offers the hope of overcoming
widespread of apathy, and at the same time
it restrains any impulse to vigilantism.
 6. Adds proactive dimensions to police work
– adds vital proactive element to the
traditional reactive role of the police
resulting in full-spectrum police service.
 7. Aims to protect the most vulnerable
segments in society – stresses imploring new
ways to protect and enhance the lives of
those who are most vulnerable juveniles,
the elderly, minorities, the poor, the
disabled, the homeless
 8. Seeks to balance human skills with
technology innovations – permits the
judicious use of technology, but it also rests
on the belief that nothing surpasses what
dedicated human beings, talking and working
together, can achieve.
 9. Must be implemented and integrated
force-wide – must be fully integrated,
approach that involves everyone in the
department, with CPOS’s as specialists in
bridging the gap between police and the
public.
 10. Emphasizes decentralization - provides
decentralized personalized police service to
the community. It recognizes that the people
cannot impose order on the community from
the outside, but that people must be
encouraged to think about the police as a
resource they can use in helping to solve
contemporary community concerns
 COMPARISON: Community
Policing Program VS. Police-
Community Relations Program
 In the implementation of the Community
Policing Program, policemen maybe confused
on the concept of COPS and how it differs
from Police Community Relation Program
which has been in placed in all police units.
 Categorically, COPS as an organizational
philosophy and operational strategy cuts
across policing dimensions. It does not
assume to replace the current Police-
Community Relations Program.
 Specifically, the two programs differ on the
following:
 On Theory =
 COPS – is based on organizational, open system,

critical, normative sponsorship theories and

public policy analysis
 PCR – conflict, intergroup relation and

communication theories
 Mission –
 COPS – requires philosophical commitment to

involve ordinary citizens as partners in crime

prevention and in so doing contemporary
problems and in efforts to improve the quality of
life in the community,
 PCR- is not a philosophy, but rather a limited

approach aimed at reducing hostility towards the

police among the public. In essence, it implies a
narrow bureaucratic response to a specific
problem rather than a fundamental change in the
overall mission of the police unit and increase
expectations of the community,
 Organizational Strategy
 COPS – requires everyone in the police unit to

explore how they can carry out the mission in

practice. Equally important is that the police unit
must permanently deploy a portion of its
personnel/resources in specified areas or beats so
that they can maintain direct, daily contact with
the people.
 PCR - is separate specialty unit whose functions

are restricted by the narrow definition of their

goals. They have limited on-going intensive
outreach to the community and no systematic
process to effect change with the police unit
organization itself.
 Operational Goal
 COPS - Commitment means the police job must be
reassessed in the light of the new mission. Their mandate
requires them to involved residents in proactive efforts
focused on the expanded mission of the police.
Policemen acts as outreach program and linkage
development specialists and problem solvers, must
overcome public indifference and retain vigilantism.
Must recognized that the police and the community are
partners in the maintenance of peace and order
 PCR- Commitment revolves around its function on the
major components of public relations activities through
Community Assistance and Development, Public Information
relying mostly on Mass Media Technology and PSYOPS which
sometimes ended with negative feedback from the
community.
 Performance Measures
 COPS - implies moving away from narrow

quantitative measures of success; number of

arrests, response time, clearance rates, number
of complaints, etc. Its accountability is not only
supervised by senior officers but by the
community at large.
 PCR – people cannot hold them directly

accountable. They are often perceived as buffer

between the community and the police unit.
 Scope of Impact
 COPS – mission is carried out directly by the

community policemen in the streets and make

dramatic changes. It brings closer relationship,
and develops trust and confidence.
 PCR – policemen educate citizens on issues like

response time and how they can effectively use

scarce resources rather than expect increased
services.
 Change -as an outcome or results of each
implementation
 COPS – can start from the bottom

 PCR – limited from the top command