Pros And Cons Of Residential Police Programs

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Wouldn’t it be great if we all had our own personal officer? Well, with the residential police program, that fantasy can be a reality. The residential police program is a program where officers live and work in troubled neighborhoods and provide police service. The officer or officers, would do their police duty in the community and neighborhood they are living in. As a result, residents will see a better quality of life through the works of problem solving and drug stoppage by the residential officers. Currently, there more and more of these residential police programs springing up across the country. The program started to take notice about 25 years ago in 1990. (Bjorklund, J. 1993, September 29. Police Program Combines Officer 's Work With …show more content…
In other words, the residential police program might be as beneficial and successful as it is, but, there is also a downside that comes with it. That downside can be seen in the form of dollar signs. For the police officer to be part of the community, they must live in the community. Officers that are in the program are living in a house that is paid by the police department. It is also reported that utilities are paid for by the department as well. Going back to Officer Swoboda of the Elgin force, his expenses cost the Elgin Police Department about $460 a month for rent. (Bjorklund, J. 1993, September 29. Police Program Combines Officer 's Work With Home.) Now that might not seem like much of complication, but, it is for people who don’t believe in the program. The skeptics of the program are very upset because in a way, the officer is living in that house paid by them. Resident’s tax money is where the revenue is coming for, so in a way, the officer is living in a house or apartment bought by his or her’s neighbors. Now if this does happen, where an officer is living in a neighborhood full of doubters of the programs, some major conflicts can occur. The one major problem is that the officer’s property such as house and car are easy targets for vandalism. Because of this, the officer would have a tough time grasping the trust he needs from his neighbors to make the program work. And if you can get receive trust, you might as well …show more content…
The program has been around over two decades, and is still being used in police departments. Of course, with a program like this, there are pros and cons that are present. With the program, it isn’t a sure thing that the program would turnaround the neighborhood. However, past history has shown that the program has been very successful. The main reason is because of that magical five letter word, trust. Trust is the main engine that makes the program go. On the other hand, the program also has a downfall to it. It involves that precious green paper in people’s wallet. The officer that is in the program needs a place to live, and as a result, is given a house or apartment that is rent free. Well it is not exactly free, because it is being paid by the police department and that money is coming from the citizens of the city. But, how I see it is that, this program is nothing short of amazing. I feel like this is a great program with great benefits. The resident officer program receives an “A” in my

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