- by Kevin Ramirez
Past lectures and readings have implied that community policing is considered to be an incomplete policing strategy. However, despite this, David Sklansky (2) states that it “… may deserve a longer run”. In terms of addressing problems in urban communities, I would agree that a form of community policing may be beneficial in urban communities in the long run.
This past week’s readings have focused on how policing may affect youth in urban communities. Nicole Bracy (94) states that police officers in schools have the important task of being a role models for students. This is something that community policing could achieve outside schools actually by allowing police to be active community leaders in the communities they serve in. This could in one way address problems such as juvenile crime, and provide the building blocks for a better relationship between communities and the police.
Evidence of this has been seen in the Southeast Division of the LAPD which encompasses several housing projects in the Watt-area neighborhood. Also, the Southeast Division has been known to have one of the highest crime and poverty rates in the city of Los Angeles, and generally the Southeast Division has had an uneasy relationship with the residents who reside within the jurisdiction of the Southeast Division. However in 2011 it was reported by a Joel Rubin from the LA Times that a form of community policing has been used in the Southeast Division. Programs such as youth activities programs take urban youth into field trips such as beach trips, sports games, and such things to build a relationship with the next generation of residents. Another similar program that targets at-risk youth has shown to reduce juvenile arrests in the Southeast division by 40% according to the Southeast Division Captain Phillip Tingirides. Currently, the LAPD’s Southeast Division offer a multitude of youth programs that aim to build a better relationship with the community.
Until recently it was reported by Kurt Streeter from LA Times that the community of Jordan Downs, one of the housing projects within the Southeast Division, has had a better relationship with the police that has slowly build since 2011 because of community policing strategies. In 2011 the community safety partnership was initiated in the Jordan Downs housing project. This allowed funding to go through that allowed the Southeast Division to start programs that would allow community engagement. Because of this police officers in the programs have become familiar faces in the housing project. Programs include coaching youth football teams, helping Girl Scout troops, and even providing programs that aid violent crime victims. However, this is not exclusive to the Jordan’s down housing project, but similar programs in the other housing projects that are within the Southeast Division’s jurisdiction have showed similar community engagement. According to the LAPD, since the implementation of these programs in the housing projects, violent crime is down 57% in Imperial Courts, 54% in Jordan Downs and 38 % in Nickerson Gardens (Siegler, 2013)
Despite the slow progress, it seems that the LAPD Southeast Division has achieved good results from using a community policing approach within the last four years. In my opinion the best way to facilitate a better relationship between police officers and a community are programs that focus on youth. Having police officers serve as mentors and even community leaders could have a beneficial effect in a community by offering a different perspective to urban youth. It does provide a foundation for a better relationship between the police and the community. But such efforts take time to develop given current problems in the Southeast Division. Given what they have achieved in the last four years. Imagine what they can achieve in the long run.
Sources:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/01/local/la-me-lapd-pals-20110802
Kevin, you make a good case for giving "community policing" a longer run, particularly related to the deployment of law enforcement in public housing, a site where "under-policing" has been a severe problem. What is also worth noting is that with law enforcement presence has come a whole host of social programs for youth. Whether these programs need to or should be run by law enforcement agencies is an interesting issue. But, do remember, we said at the outset the problem with law enforcement in stressed urban communities is dual edged -- under- and over-policing.
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