CHAPTER 14: THE POLICE LEADER'S ROLE IN COMMUNITY POLICING Flashcards
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN COMMUNITY POLICING
Community-oriented policing, or simply community policing, is the ________ of doing business for American law enforcement in the twenty-first century, at least until the “Next Big Thing” comes along. Indeed, community policing in its many forms has be-come the catch phrase of law enforcement CEOs and politicians to the extent that it is the rare chief, sheriff, or other law enforcement agency head who would admit that his or her department is NOT practicing community policing, whatever the phrase might mean. And just what does it mean?
preferred way
WHAT IS IT?
Therein lies the problem. Today, what community policing means
may depend on _____ is describing it. To one law enforcement manag-er, community policing may equate to police public relations, and nothing more. To the more enlightened leader it may refer to a whole changed outlook of law enforcement where local citizens work in part-nership with “their” officers to solve crime or disorder problems of mutual concern to cops and community.
who
WHAT IS IT?
First of all, it should be emphasized that community policing is a
philosophy or mindset for an _______ law enforcement operation or organization. It is usually not a separate and distinct, specialized police unit.
entire
WHAT IS IT?
It requires a diversity of approaches ranging from vehicle patrol to foot beats; information-gathering to hard-nosed enforcement. It can be all of these things and a good deal more. Properly done, it is NOT “__________.”
police social work
WHAT IS IT?
The idea is to involve the police officers assigned to the area with the citizens living, working, or playing there to identify problems and _______ develop solutions for them.
mutually
PROBLEM SOLVING
1) First they attempt to identify the problem or series of problems by breaking the situation down into its component parts.
2) Next they try to identify the actors involved, either as suspects, victims, or others touched by the situation.
3) Then they ___________ and possible solutions from all those involved.
4) Finally, the officers and the involved others assess the results of their actions.
solicit information
PROBLEM SOLVING
In order to work well, community policing does require officers to do things that they might not otherwise think of as _________. (Example: lead residents in a neighborhood cleanup.) This they do in addition to their other, more traditional functions like putting crooks in jail.
police tasks
PROBLEM SOLVING
Done correctly, community policing is not anti-supervision or “no accountability” oriented, either. Officers involved in community policing require the wise counsel of an _________ and intelligent supervisor at least as much as do their traditional policing peers.
interested
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
Experts on community policing emphasize that ideas and efforts must ________ with line-level officers and their first-line supervisors for the concept to work best. New projects and solutions for perceived problems should not come down from police executives who then assign a supervisor to find a front-line employee to tackle an issue and produce quick results.
originate
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
A lack of ________ ownership in the process if not outright resentment could result from such an approach.
employee
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
While there is general agreement that the first-line supervisor is a
key to success in community-oriented policing, experience has demon-strated that he likely will have to ________ some long-held ways of doing things if he is to succeed as an effective leader in this new land-scape where decentralized control and employee initiative are highly prized. In this new way of doing business, supervisory flexibility and adaptability are particularly valuable assets.
alter slightly
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
Community policing will force the traditional system supervisor to make some changes in what he _______ as well as in what he prizes in a subordinate.
monitors
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
To supervise effectively in an agency practicing community policing, a supervisor must be able to ______ his attention away from numbers only and too-rigid rules and focus as well on his peoples’ knowledge of their area, their citizens and the problems to be found there. With expanded lee-way and trust extended to his subordinates the supervisor expects in turn that they will keep him briefed on their actions, problems, plans and whereabouts.
shift
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
The sharp supervisor can make sug-gestions as to possible resources to tap or courses of action to try. All the while, he does his best to label his contributions as suggestions that can be disregarded, not orders that must be obeyed. The supervisor who really understands how community policing works realizes that the best ideas for solutions most often come from the _______, not the other way around.
bottom up
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
He knows that if he and his department fail to achieve fair treatment for both active practitioners and less active supporters of community policing, serious _______ and agency divisiveness can occur. As always, equality in supervisory treatment of employees is the key.
moral problems
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
As might be expected, officers granted _______ by their supervisors to use discretion and flexibility in their problem solving appear to be the most successful as community policing practitioners.
authority
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
At the same time, officers told by their supervisors simply to “go find and solve something” generally do not do as well. Clearly, continuing in-terest by the first-line supervisor is necessary if the community-orient-ed approach to solving problems is to work well.
with no direction there is less productivity
THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
Experience has shown that the __________ community policing
supervisors welcome a novel approach to an old problem and are not quick to criticize a subordinate’s proposed solution, however imprac-tical or bizarre it may appear at first glance. These same, effective supervisors expect and generally get compliance with the rules and ethics accompanying good police work. Nevertheless, they are more concerned with solving problems with the community’s help than they are with production numbers.
most effective
SUMMARY
The effective community policing supervisor still guides, assists, and evaluates his people and their work. But he also grants them additional __________, flexibility, and authority to identify problems and secure the community’s active assistance in solving them.
independence
SUMMARY
In the final analysis, he emphasizes effectiveness over _______; obvious results over old ways.
numbers
SUMMARY
Community policing does not weaken supervision. It merely ________ some of its focus.
redirects
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Community policing has different meanings in different locales.
The meaning changes depending on the environment and current leader.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
The wise supervisor will understand his jurisdiction’s definition and ________ of community policing.
expectations
POINTS TO REMEMBER
In its purest form, community-oriented policing calls for real __________ with the consumers of law enforcement services.
partnerships
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Community policing does not do away with 911 responses or reactive modes of policing; it ________ them.
complements
POINTS TO REMEMBER
In community policing, the supervisor gives his employees additional flexibility to identify and solve the community’s problems.
flexibility
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Community policing does not mean less supervision; it calls for a slightly ______ style of supervision
altered
POINTS TO REMEMBER
In this style of policing leaders encourage their subordinates to _______ and imagine.
innovate
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Community policing allows its practitioners to ______ from their failures without penalty
learn
