INTRO REPORT:

The three key components of community policing strategies are organizational

transformation, community partnerships, and shared problem solving. Individually
and together, these three components decentralize police operations, make the
police more accountable to the community, and tackle the root causes of
neighborhood crime in a manner that builds trust in law enforcement.

Organizational transformation
Organizational transformation is the alignment of management, structure, personnel,
and information systems to support community partnerships and proactive problem
solving. It is a primary element of community policing.
COPS Office resources focus on how departments are organized and managed and
how their infrastructure can be changed to support the philosophical shift inherent in
community policing. Organizational transformation encourages the application of
modern management practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness and
emphasizes changes in organizational structures and a variety of processes.

Community policing emphasizes proactive problem solving in a systematic and

routine fashion. Rather than responding to crime only after it occurs, community
policing encourages agencies to proactively develop solutions to the immediate
underlying conditions contributing to public safety problems.
What is an example of problem solving community policing?
Problem-oriented policing examples consists of measures that improve community
conditions, such as improving lighting, implementing speed bumps, and
increasing police presence in high-crime areas. Research on problem-oriented
policing shows that it is moderately effective at reducing crime and the fear of crime.
What are the key elements of problem solving policing?
Problem-oriented policing involves two distinctive features:
(1) analyzing crime data and using that information in designing strategies and
tactics and
(2) engaging community representatives and others in the analysis and planning
process.
What is the importance of problem-solving in community service?
Through participation in Community Problem Solving, students refine critical and
creative thinking skills, focus on a real community or school issue, produce Solution
ideas, generate Criteria to evaluate Solution ideas, determine the best Plan of Action,
and implement the plan to resolve their problem.
The Three Key Components of Community Policing Strategies
The three key components of community policing strategies are organizational transformation,
community partnerships, and shared problem solving. Individually and together, these three
components decentralize police operations, make the police more accountable to the
community, and tackle the root causes of neighborhood crime in a manner that builds trust in
law enforcement.
Organizational Transformation
The issues with police-community relationships required more than a change of attitude. They
also required a decentralized redistribution of resources to give law enforcement officers a
better understanding of neighborhood concerns and – with more frequent contact between
police and community members – the assets that could be leveraged to address those concerns.

However, in a period of budget cuts – during which law enforcement agencies were expected to
do more with less – finding enough resources to go around was difficult. Consequently, law
enforcement agencies started a more community led public safety approach by hiring additional
civilians to handle support roles such as dispatch, crime scene forensics, record keeping, and
other administrative duties.

“Civilianization” had the dual benefits of freeing up police officers for deployment in
community policing, and bringing more of the community into closer contact with law
enforcement. The practice of hiring civilians for non-sworn roles had cost-saving advantages as
well, and in some jurisdictions civilians now provide up to 50% of the law enforcement
workforce.

Community Partnerships
The term “community partnerships” can mean different things in different jurisdictions. In those
in which there are the most examples of community policing strategies at work, relationships
are created between police and community groups such as faith-based organizations, tenant
councils, business groups, local government agencies, social service providers, schools, and
local businesses.

These partnerships are ongoing projects rather than periodic neighborhood watch meetings and
have the objective of developing interaction between police and the community. Indeed, some
of the most successful examples of community policing strategies at work are when police
services are provided or co-located with other civic services such as paying utility bills or
obtaining parking permits.

Building on the organizational transformation above, much of the police interaction at co-
location venues is provided by civilians or local volunteers, which helps with the identification
of localized problems and the means of solving them. They also provide a good opportunity for
law enforcement agencies to engage with neighborhood watch groups and share crime
prevention tips.

Shared Problem Solving

The biggest consequence of organizational transformation and community partnerships has
been the success of shared problem solving. Police departments with the most successful
examples of community policing strategies at work train officers to focus on creative and active
problem solving in the community – and with the help of community members – rather than
simply react to crime or disorder.
One of the most common approaches to shared problem solving in community policing is the
“SARA Model”. SARA stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment and involves
recurring issues in the community being identified and analyzed, and community members
being consulted, in order to determine the root causes of the issues and find long-term solutions
to address them.

Evidence suggests shared problem solving based on the SARA Model can achieve significant
reductions in crime over traditional response models. A 2010 review found proactive problem
solving had a significant impact on improving public safety and that the shift from reactive
crime response had resulted in specific social issues being resolved and crimes being prevented
before they happen.

The Role of Technology in the Community Policing Model

Technology features significantly in all three key components of community policing and
beyond.
Good communications technology is essential for organizational transformation, developing
community partnerships, and shared problem solving; and, in a 2009 COPS Survey, nearly
every jurisdiction with a community policing program provided a website through which
citizens could receive crime alerts or provide tips, give feedback, or communicate concerns.
Over the past decade, mobile technology has transformed community policing. The introduction
of cost-effective
anonymous tip texting services – in which text messages are stripped of any identifying
information before being received by law enforcement agencies – has resulted in a huge
increase in community engagement, albeit anonymously, which has enabled law enforcement
agencies to gain further insights into recurring issues in the community and their causes.
Modern tip texting services support two-way encrypted conversations and real-time logging so
that trends and incident patterns can be identified over time. As community members become
more familiar with using an anonymous tip texting service, the number of crimes prevented and
solved has escalated over the years. In many respects, anonymous tip texting is one of the best
examples of community policing strategies at work!