Community Policing
Community Policing
is the philosophy of full-service, personalized policing where the same
officer is assigned to a specific geographical
area on a permanent basis.
They work in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve
problems. The focus of community
policing is not simply on responding to
crime, but on preventing crime and resolving community problems.
The philosophy
rests on the belief that the police and
community must work as partners to solve
the
contemporary challenges faced in today's society.
Community police officers are empowered
with the
autonomy and freedom to act as needed in order to
implement and participate in
community-based
problem
solving efforts.
How Community Policing Works
Officers work
closely with other organizations and
community groups to educate community
members
about
potential hazards and how to reduce the
likelihood of
becoming a victim. The
goals are to also to: 1) identify
the problems, concerns and fears of community members,
2) identify and
eliminate
hazards that may promote crime or disorder and 3) improve the
overall quality of life in the community. The Colorado
State University Police Department
uses
a
five-step approach to problem solving. This is based upon Chicago's
Alternative Policing Strategy
(CAPS) - a
successfully model Chief Yarbrough
used while member of the Chicago Police
Department. Community Policing
based on four elements:
Element 1:
What is a Problem?
Element 2:
How Do We Have an Impact?
Element 3: Five
Steps to Problem Solving
Element 4:
Crime Prevention Tips
What is a Problem?
[Top]
·
A recurring incident.
·
Two or more incidents of a similar nature, which may cause harm and the
community expects the police
to handle.
·
A cluster of similar, related or recurring incidents rather than a single
incident.
·
Underlying conditions create problems.
·
The incidents will continue so long as the problem that created them
persists.
How
Do We Have an Impact on Problems?
[Top]
·
Eliminate the
problem
·
Reduce harm
from the problem
·
Reduce the
number of incidents
·
Improve
handling of the problem
·
Refer the problem to the proper authority
Five Steps to Problem Solving [Top]
Step 1 - Identify and Prioritize the Problem: The first step in the problem-solving process is to identify and prioritize the problem. Suppose the problem was a series of thefts at a residence hall. Police and the community would work together to decide what is most harmful and prioritize an effective response.
Step 2 - Analyze the Problem: Using a system
called the “Crime Triangle,” police and the community would analyze the
problem from three perspectives: victims, location and offenders.
1. The victim is identified, such as a resident from a residence hall who
has had property stolen.
2. The location is determined as a residence hall and entry doors and/or
locks are analyzed.
3. The offenders are those who are responsible for the theft.
Step 3 - Design Strategies: Based on the analysis of the problem, police and the community develop a number of strategies that address the offender and location aspects of the “Crime Triangle.”
1. To target
offenders, foot patrol would be instituted at strategic locations and
residents would be asked to be observant and report
any suspicious activity.
2. At the
location, residents would make certain all entry doors remain secure and
work in conjunction with residence hall maintenance
to ensure all room door locks are
functional.
Step 4 - Implement Strategies:
This is the “DO IT”
step of the problem solving method. This step is executed when police,
residence hall staff and residents implement their strategies to solving the
problem.
Step 5 - Evaluate and Acknowledge Success:
In the last step,
those who were involved review the success of problem elimination.
1. Which strategies were implemented?
2. Which strategies worked?
3. Do challenges remain?
4. Have theft been reduced or eliminated?
There are no prerequisites for becoming a problem solver. No experience is
needed, and you do not have to be a leader. You just have to be a good
citizen and care enough to want to make a difference in your community. The
five-step problem-solving process enables ordinary people to do
extraordinary things!
How to Prevent a Crime [Top]
1. Take the time to lock your bicycle
correctly.
2. Don't leave your laptop computer unattended - it is a target for theft.
3. Don't leave your books unattended they are also desirable.
4. Lock your vehicle doors and keep all valuables out of plain sight.
5. Walk in groups and near lit areas, if possible.
6. Don't ever leave your drink unattended, whether it’s at a party, bar or restaurant.
7. Keep your (dorm) room door locked and don’t lose track of your key.
Colorado State University Police Department
Proudly serving the Fort
Collins community since 1955
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Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
(c) Copyright 2006 Colorado State University
Last modified
08/13/2007 11:31:02 AM
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