How does it work and has it been successful?

Question 1

Why hasn’t it worked?

Answer 1

• Not all crimes can be prevented - basing assumptions that people are rational with crimes they commit
• Doesn’t fit all areas
• Public might not want it – particularly youth don’t find police trustworthy
• Do people care that much
• Unrealistic
• Risk of a too strong a relationship with the community - too friendly with people and let them off with crimes and risk alienating others
• Too little resources
• Symbol of the uniform and the true nature of the police
• What is a ‘community’? Small wards do not necessarily mean a community
• Lack of community organisation
• Lack of community mobilisation - how do they get people to take part
• People at meetings not representative of the whole community (‘majoritarianism’ - representativeness, minorities)
• Conflicting interests and priorities - do they all want the same thing
• Policing is in part about conflict and force - ultimately they are there to enforce the law and catch criminals
• Cop culture - ‘social service’ not ‘real’ police work (it is dull, don’t want to do it)
• Visibility and foot patrol: effective in reassuring public but not in reducing crime?

Question 2

How does it work?

Answer 2

Police officers and PCSOs work with City communities across three specific teams – Residential, Business and Street Intervention.

Positioning our teams in this way makes for smarter, more efficient working with communities.

The teams have an INTEGRATED approach and share their knowledge and skills to help each other - to help you. This style of policing is designed to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges in an ever evolving vibrant City culture.

INNES says:

The reassurance programme
The virtue of presence of a visible signifier of authoritative social control in the form of a uniformed police officer - public feel more confident about the levels of protection afforded to them
Symbolic reassurance provided to the public by police uniformed foot patrol
Social visibility is an important determinant of public appraisals of police effectiveness
The HMIC formulation posits for people to be reassured by police patrol these three dimensions must co occur: officers must be visible, accessible and they must be known by local people
Labour and conservative gov felt in the past that to improve this is to increase number of police on patrol but this isn’t really the solution

Question 3

Give examples

Answer 3

• Crackdown on crime but also form a bond with the public
• High visibility of police in an overt manner but not just for the public but for the criminals be aware
• Sat and Fri nights popular for CP – have to deal with rowdiness and alcohol related violence
• Can choose to bar people for 48 hours from an area for alcohol related violence aka section 27 order
• Police work closely with bar staff and make sure they are qualified and know them
• Don’t just prevent/punish at bars/clubs but engage with the public as part of the CP rhetoric: good humour, high spirits
• CP also help prevent crime in offering security: home visits that help public to be more crime conscious, offer advice in giving letters from identifying problem areas
• E.g. for stolen bike problems: PO offer to engrave security markings on bikes so they can be identified if stolen
• Issue visits to schools to educate children about CP