The United States Department of Justice defines community
policing as a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies in
the community to combat potential situations that might create
public safety issues. For instance, crime, social unrest and fear
of crime are all public safety issues that community policing seeks
to address.
Community policing involves the use of partnerships between
municipal agencies, businesses, individual citizens, non-profit
groups and the media in order to develop methods to police the
community.
These organizations work together to address criminal matters
and reduce crime. Instead of simply leaving it to the police force,
community policing revolves around a philosophy that the entire
community can help take measures to prevent crime.
Community policing is defined as involving three key
components: developing community partnerships, engaging in problem
solving, and implementing community policing organizational
features.
Trust between police and the communities they serve is perhaps
the most critical component of the community policing concept. City
leaders are central to cultivating that trust within their
communities.
They can encourage their local law enforcement agencies to
embrace the “guardians not warriors” approach to public safety and
to develop positive, trust-based relationships with all segments of
the community they serve.