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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Mary S. Mangai, Tyanai Masiya and Galaletsang Masemola

This paper aims to explore police perspectives on community engagement strategies within the context of crime prevention in South Africa, focusing on Johannesburg metropolitan…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore police perspectives on community engagement strategies within the context of crime prevention in South Africa, focusing on Johannesburg metropolitan police stations. The study’s objective is to scrutinise the effectiveness and challenges of community policing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a qualitative research approach, this study conducted unstructured interviews with station commanders and visible policing officers across 10 Johannesburg metropolitan police stations.

Findings

The findings reveal that community policing strategies, such as community–policing forums, sector policing, street patrollers and social media utilisation, can effectively engage communities as partners in crime prevention. However, certain challenges such as resource limitations and difficulties in policing-specific regions, were also identified.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the broader understanding of community–policing partnerships and the practical implications of community–policing strategies in South Africa, suggesting areas for improvement and adaptation to the unique South African context. This knowledge can help optimise efforts to foster stronger relationships between police and communities, bolster public trust and ultimately improve crime prevention outcomes.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Byongook Moon

The study aims to examine the effect of organizational socialization into police culture on officers' attitudes toward community policing in South Korea.

2707

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to examine the effect of organizational socialization into police culture on officers' attitudes toward community policing in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sampled 694 Korean police officers. Policy implication and direction for future research is discussed.

Findings

The results indicate a positive relationship between the degree of organizational socialization and police officers' attitudes toward community policing, contrary to hypothesized directions. Police officers who report higher levels of socialization into police culture are more likely to support the philosophy of community policing and line officers' autonomy/participation, and to perceive a positive relationship with citizens. The findings may indicate that police culture in Korea is fundamentally different from those of other countries, even though the Korean police share some common characteristics of police culture (i.e. machismo, isolation, or conflict with citizens) with its counterparts.

Originality/value

The study provides useful information on the effect of organizational socialization into police culture on officers' attitudes toward community policing.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 29 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2014

T.K. Vinod Kumar

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that impact assessment of police performance across the two types of policing methods, and explains the differing police public…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that impact assessment of police performance across the two types of policing methods, and explains the differing police public dynamics at the field level.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the varying police public dynamics in areas with and without community policing. For this purpose data were obtained from a survey conducted in the City of Calicut where the Janamaitri community policing program was implemented in some of the police stations. To obtain a contrasting perspective in areas without community policing, survey was also conducted in areas where community policing was not conducted. The method adopted in this study is to map people's perception of police performance and factors impacting it across the two areas and compare the same. The comparison is done by examining the OLS regression in the two areas with same independent and dependent variables, and explaining similarities and contrasts in trends.

Findings

It concludes that while community policing has great advantages over conventional policing, it has the challenge of increasing expectation among the public and diminishing impact of certain factors that are relevant in conventional police service delivery mechanisms.

Originality/value

There is one of the first studies comparing and analyzing the differing police public dynamics in areas with community policing and areas with conventional policing. It provides an insight into how public perception of police is formed in these differing environments.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 August 2007

Allison T. Chappell

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which traditional field training incorporates community‐oriented policing and problem solving in its formal evaluation…

2742

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which traditional field training incorporates community‐oriented policing and problem solving in its formal evaluation process. Can community policing be successfully integrated into the San Jose field training model as a formal component of training and evaluation of police recruits?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes formal field training evaluations and narratives in one police agency that uses the San Jose Field Training Officer Program. The agency endorses and practices community policing and problem solving.

Findings

Field training in this agency did not successfully integrate community policing and problem solving into the formal evaluation process.

Practical implications

Because field training occurs immediately after the academy, it is the best place to expose recruits to community policing and problem solving in practice, thus linking training with practice. If police agencies are truly committed to community policing, they must update their field training curricula to reflect the new philosophy and practice.

Originality/value

Though there has been considerable research in the area of community policing, little of it focuses on training, especially field training. Ironically, even though most agencies claim to practice community policing, they have failed to prepare their officers in the philosophies and skills necessary to perform the tasks well. Police academies are beginning to train recruits in community policing, but most agencies still use the San Jose FTO model, which was developed before contemporary community policing existed. Because field training is such an important part of police socialization, it must teach recruits the skills of community policing.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 1998

Willard M. Oliver and Elaine Bartgis

The theoretical framework for community policing attempts to answer many of the questions revolving around the new paradigm in policing. The paper traces the evolution of…

3859

Abstract

The theoretical framework for community policing attempts to answer many of the questions revolving around the new paradigm in policing. The paper traces the evolution of community policing as a paradigm in the Kuhnian sense, then proceeds to articulate how it has moved from “revolutionary science” to “normal science”. It then articulates some of the current research in community policing theory and calls for the creation of a theoretical framework under which community policing can be analyzed and evaluated. This paper then commences to articulate a theoretical framework that analyzes all of the factors bearing on this paradigm, ranging from the macro to the micro.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2014

Eric Lambert, Yuning Wu, Shanhe Jiang, Karuppannan Jaishankar, Sudershan Pasupuleti, Jagadish Bhimarasetty and Brad Smith

While there is a growing body of studies on the people's views of community policing, there have been a very few cross-national studies. The purpose of this paper is to compare…

Abstract

Purpose

While there is a growing body of studies on the people's views of community policing, there have been a very few cross-national studies. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast students’ views on community policing from India and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were from a survey from a total of 434 Indian and 484 US college students.

Findings

Punitive orientation had a significant effect on attitudes toward community policing, but was related to an increase in the support in India and reduction of support in the USA. Among the Indian respondents, concern for crime and support for aggressive policing had positive associations with support for community policing, and police involvement in the community had a negative association. Among the US respondents, age, educational level, and perceptions of police effectiveness had positive associations with support for community policing, and holding a punitive orientation had a negative association.

Originality/value

This study represents the attempt to examine Indian perceptions of community policing empirically. Uncovering factors that affect public support for community policing can provide useful references for police administrators to develop policies and practices that encourage more active community involvement in crime control.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1999

Scott Lewis, Helen Rosenberg and Robert T. Sigler

Community policing has evolved from a set of programs to a conceptual framework describing one way that police services can be effectively delivered. As this approach has emerged…

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Abstract

Community policing has evolved from a set of programs to a conceptual framework describing one way that police services can be effectively delivered. As this approach has emerged, the level of evaluation of specific programs has been higher than has traditionally been the case. At the present time, program evaluations are becoming more sophisticated and focused. The study reported here was designed to measure the attitudes held by police officers toward community policing with a set of sub‐scales designed to measure different dimensions of the attitudinal construct. Findings are based on a survey of the population of police officers in Racine, Wisconsin, conducted in 1997.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2006

David Lilley and Sameer Hinduja

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to compare traditional and community policing agencies with regard to how individual officers are formally evaluated and to assess…

7661

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to compare traditional and community policing agencies with regard to how individual officers are formally evaluated and to assess organizational goals and objectives in each type of agency. Design/methodology/approach – A 75‐item questionnaire was mailed to 600 municipal and county law enforcement agencies. A total of 11 hypotheses were tested regarding performance evaluation content, the values of police supervisors and organizational objectives. Findings – Community policing agencies have added new output measures but continue to value enforcement statistics as much as their more traditional counterparts. Additionally, many community policing agencies have not updated their formal systems to incorporate community policing concepts. Research limitations/implications – Survey responses were obtained from only one supervisor per agency and the knowledge of each individual was varied. However, if supervisors from traditional and community policing agencies are equally competent, results should be unbiased. Further research is needed to assess the reasons why many agencies have not updated their formal evaluation systems to incorporate community policing concepts. Practical implications – There may be a conflict between police supervisor values and formal evaluation procedures in many community policing agencies. Further assistance or guidance may be needed to aid police administrators in updating and improving their formal systems of officer performance evaluation. Originality/value – This is the first nationwide assessment of police officer performance evaluation during the community policing era.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2004

Carlos Wing‐Hung Lo and Albert Chun‐Yin Cheuk

This paper is an in‐depth analysis of community policing in Hong Kong. It includes an outline of the evolution of community policing in Hong Kong, identifies the structural…

3398

Abstract

This paper is an in‐depth analysis of community policing in Hong Kong. It includes an outline of the evolution of community policing in Hong Kong, identifies the structural arrangements for the practice of community policing, examines major community‐based programs that have been launched, evaluates the performance of this strategy, and considers constraints on these policy initiatives. It shows that this community effort has already gone beyond the confines of promoting community relations in Hong Kong. The results have been encouraging. They include a significant improvement in the quality of police‐public interactions, the engagement of the public and their increased support in crime control and prevention, and the beginning of the conversion of traditional police enforcement to that of police services. However, the Force's use of community policing schemes predominantly for the pragmatic purpose of crime control has accounted for the lack of breakthroughs in forging a strategic partnership with the public to promote a secure and harmonious environment.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2021

Sherah L. Basham

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which community policing within campus law enforcement agencies is influenced by the organizational structure, agency…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which community policing within campus law enforcement agencies is influenced by the organizational structure, agency characteristics and campus characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes ordinary least squares regression modeling to examine community policing implementation. Data were drawn from a sample of 242 US colleges and universities included in the 2011–2012 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Survey of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies (SCLEA).

Findings

Findings show that within-campus law enforcement agencies, greater levels of community policing are associated with more formalization, larger numbers of employees, a higher task scope and higher rates of on-campus property crime.

Research limitations/implications

Use of secondary data and reported crime rate limits the study. Future research should implement specialized surveys and qualitative methods to identify the specific needs and implementations of community policing.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the limited body of literature on the community policing in campus law enforcement through more recent data and the inclusion of campus community variables.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

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