Community Policing In A City

A city relies on its local police force to both “protect and to serve.” However in order for that to happen, the police must rely on the community for support and cooperation. The process isn’t always easy, flawless, successful or even welcome. Fortunately, former United States Marine and Trenton Police Officer Randall Hanson realizes this all to literally, and along with his colleagues is working hard to both discredit negative assumptions, and promote a more effective approach to “community policing.” Hanson, 45 is a twenty-for year veteran of the Trenton Police Department and works as a detective with city. He admits that in today’s world the term “community police relations” doesn’t always conjure up the most positive mental image. Hanson attributes most misconceptions to a …show more content…
Without that mentoring, combined with a strong presence that says, ‘I expect more of you,’ or ‘you can do better than this,’ failure can be eminent.” So how does an already understaffed, overworked police department take on the added responsibility of cultivating relationships between law enforcement and the community? “The first step is finding the time to not just ‘look past’ the people we see everyday,” says Hanson. “You begin to search for then start to notice the similarities we all possess.” Hanson continues, “When you come across a person who needs help or wants to change their life how can you just stand there and not offer a hand?” Such efforts may not fall under a police officer’s job description, yet Hanson believes helping to change perceptions is part of his job as a police officer. “I’ve come to find that it’s acceptable to care about the people we serve, and that in turn cultivates respect and kindness,” says Hanson. “The benefit I receive is in the knowledge that my true power as a police officer comes from helping to empower