What is traditional policing? It dictates the law to the public, it focuses on rapid response time and apprehending criminals. Police exist to keep the peace, keep order and prevent crime. The traditional definition of policing was the brainchild of Sir Robert Peel, chief of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829. He set down 9 basic principles:
1. Keep order and prevent crime.
2. The community must agree with police actions.
3. The public must cooperate with the police to show their respect for the law.
4. The more force is used, the less cooperation is obtained, and vice versa.
5. There must be impartiality and lack of bias.
6. Use verbal persuasion before physical force.
7. Members of the community …show more content…
Measure the effectiveness of police efforts by reduced crime rates, not the way crimes are fought.
These principles are the foundation of traditional policing (Thompson, 2014). These principles worked in the past because society was more primitive, and ordinary people needed to be told what to do. Nowadays, the pendulum is beginning to swing the other way with the advent of community policing. Communities have changed, families have changed, crime has changed, and now it is time for policing to change.
Unlike traditional policing, community policing takes into account the feelings of the community when it comes to police matters. Community policing is collaboration between the police and the community that they serve. Community problems are more easily identified and solved. In community policing each member of the community becomes an ally to the police and enhances the safety of the neighborhoods. People begin to trust the police. Community policing can be considered an example of democracy. Everyone cooperates with everyone else.
Traditional policing is reactive, but community policing is proactive. What are the core components of community policing? They are:
a) Community relation …show more content…
We would rotate their patrol areas in order for them to understand the needs of the community at large and not just their neighborhoods. The more information obtained gives more of a sense of security. The broken window model comes into play here (Schmalleger, 2013, p.96). It states that physical decay can lead to disorder in a community. In a building, broken windows can lead to other broken windows, vandalism and petty crimes. This can lead to major crimes because ordinary citizens become afraid to walk the streets, leaving them open to criminals. If urban decay can be addressed by the police and the community, crime will be reduced (Kelling & Wilson, 1982). More contact between the patrol officers and the community has been implemented using foot patrols. Officers are seen as people, not faceless officers in patrol