Community Policing: Comparative Perspectives and Prospects

This book compares community policing initiatives in Canada, Great Britain, Israel, and the United States and discusses similar efforts in other countries that have experimented with this policing strategy. The author defines community policing as "a policy and a strategy aimed at achieving more effective and efficient crime control, reduced fear of crime, improved quality of life, improved police services and police legitimacy, through a proactive reliance on community resources that seeks to change crime-causing conditions. It assumes a need for greater accountability of police, greater public share in decision making and greater concern for civil rights and liberties." The book begins with an examination of the major influences on community policing: the social, political, and other forces that shaped its emergence. The author then discusses its theoretical underpinnings, promises, practices, and limits. This is followed by a discussion of some of the key pertinent variables, such as fear of crime, attitudes of officers, attitudes of citizens, victimization, and police administration and its relation to other social service agencies as well as the media. Four chapters examine community policing in the four countries, with attention to community policing conceptualization, implementation, experience with, and knowledge of community policing. Also considered are studies that have evaluated community policing projects and other relevant issues such as sources for innovation outside the police, citizen participation, and multi-agency cooperation. Following the presentations of the four countries, the discussion highlights similarities and differences among the countries and contrasts the promises or challenges with the drawbacks or limitations of community policing. The final chapter discusses the implications of current activities for future trends in community policing and policing innovations in general.