Perspectives on Effective Policing in Communities

Question One-Answer

The foot-patrol form of policing creates a better relationship between the police and a given community and keeps the neighborhoods safer. Based on this thesis, "order maintenance" is a preventive measure that involves the foot-patrol police and the people within a community. It also includes the adherence to some simple and public rules that help to maintain order. It strengthens the relationship between the police and residents eliminating the "they do not care" mentality of most communities. Order maintenance utilizes the simple disorder control systems to efficiently manage undesirable behaviors (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). Crime Control, on the other hand, deals more with the treatment of criminal cases through detection, investigation, and judicial proceedings. The importance of these mechanisms is that it help built a relationship between the police and the neighborhood.

Question Two-Answer

Wilson and Kelling (1982) assertion is that desirable and undesirable behavior is hard to define in an individualistic approach. Rather, what is term undesirable within a crime-prone area needs to be assessed based on the frequency and number of occurrences regarding the uncared for "broken windows” in the sight of residents. And it is the "no-one cares" attitude that creates more disorderliness in Communities. The findings from Terrill and Reisig (2003) are consistent because of the current crime control mechanisms use by the police which targets compartmentalized communities with variable characteristics of undesirable behaviors.

Question Three-Answer

They found that officers' level of education, age, training, and values influence the degree and use of force. Also, they found that police use force more in communities where there are documentations of resistance, high homicide, crime rates, and suspects race. They used a multivariate model that applies police and census data, including interviews.

Question Four-Answer

Empirically, there is no sufficient information to support a general reduction in crime in Chicago. Some high crime areas have experienced a decline in crime (Shah & Braithwaite, 2013) . Surveillance videos, cameras, and body cameras on officers on patrol are tools used to capture incidences mostly for investigative purposes. Cameras are adjunctive to police relations with the communities. They suggest that police should consider high crime areas when applying cameras for effective prevention of offenses. There is a need for empirical research that will give the police sufficient evidence on the best approach to the use of cameras.

Question Five-Answer

I am hopeful that crime rate will go down in Chicago. The reasons are that there will be more training for officers and creation of opportunities for officers to further their education. Also, community policing will focus on strengthening relationships with communities so as to eliminate the racial and "they do not care" mentality. More police officers have to be recruited to reduce the shortage. And more effort will be on prevention, order maintenance rather than crime control.

References

Rajiv Shah, R. & Braithwaite, J. (2013). Spread too thin: analyzing the effectiveness of the Chicago camera network on crime. Police Practice and Research , 14 ( 5), pp: 415–427,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2012.670031

Terrill, W., & Reisig, M. D. (2003). Neighborhood Context and Police Use of Force. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. 40 (291). DOI: 10.1177/0022427803253800

Wilson, J. Q., & Kelling, G. L. (1982). Broken Windows; The police and neighborhood safety. Volume 249, No. 3; pages 29-38.