Issues with Community-Oriented Policing
Community-oriented policing (COP) has increasingly been exploited as an alternative way of improving law enforcement operations. This approach has been seen as a way of improving police legitimacy, efficiency, and relationship with the community. While the increased attention to COP has increased adoption in different departments throughout the country, there are issues that have been its design and implementation. The issues associated with COP include;
- Increased budget allocation to police
- Inadequate staff for effective implementation
- Risk of over policing
- Potential of interference from local politics and sectional interests
- Contradiction with other policing strategies such as Tactical Response Policing
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COP in Oakland Police Department
The problem of OPD revealed that there was a larger issue that needed to be confronted since the administrative changes were not yielding any fruits. With five Police Chiefs failing to deliver the desired results, it is evident that the problem was cultural rather than administrative. According to Owii (2018), reforming police departments, like any institution, requires a change in the culture rather than a few cosmetic or structural changes. OPD was in dire need of cultural reform when Chief Whent took over in 2013. From the efforts put in by the police Chief, it is evident that Oakland is a great example of why COP is a useful alternative when properly formulated and effectively implemented.
In the police-community meeting, one participant pointed out that the members of the community disengage since they receive poor service without any explanation from the police department. The lack of communication has been identified as an issue that contributes to distrust from the community members and a lack of understanding from the police department (Owii, 2019). COP is important in reducing the barrier between the police and community, thus improving communication. The increased engagement between the police and the community is essential in allowing both parties to express challenges and identify opportunities for improving service delivery.
While COP has been identified as a solution that helps to reduce crime and improve community relations, it is not an adequate measure of improving police service. According to Owii (2018), under resourced police departments are unable to deliver the best services to communities irrespective of other programs that can be put in place. The problem of under facilitation is persistent in OPD, thus making it difficult to deliver services and consequently establish a strong and productive relationship with the community. In her speech to the officers who were soon to graduate, the mayor appreciated that the long hours and excessive responsibilities on the overworked officers caused a toll.
The case of OPD demonstrates that COP can only be effective in an environment where the police department are well resourced. Despite the efforts of OPD to improve community relations, the police were unable to avoid violent conduct. This can be explained by the increased pressure and stress associated with overworking. Improving the police-citizen ratio will ensure that the police officers work fewer hours. This is also essential in improving the response time of the police since they can be easily deployed to the areas of need. Consequently, police-community relationship improves as the community becomes more open to a responsive police force and the officers operate in situations of low pressure. COP should not be considered a comprehensive program but a component of a service delivery initiative.
The video shows that the police Chief is deliberately attempting to address the problems in the department from training to public relations. According to Owii (2018), a top-bottom approach is instrumental in ensuring that conditions are created for the development of community-police relationship. The community need to trust the police to engage with them. The police need to demonstrate that their good intentions are accompanied with actions. The training is targeted at explaining the historical origins of police distrust, confrontations that are associated with police violence, and the culture of the police department. This approach is important in pointing out the issues to the officers and ensuring that they are involved in changing the departmental culture and building trust in the community.
The decision by the Chief to release the videos of police encounters with the two dead suspects is also meant to increase transparency and accountability. The questions by the press and the members of the community, however, show that mistrust still exists as they department is being accused of conveniently showing the footages that fit their narrative. The police Chief, however, appreciates this concern and insists that they will have to carry on with this non-traditional approach irrespective of whether the officer in question was justified or noncompliant with their use of force. According to Owii (2015), the consistency of police departments with reporting the behavior of officers is essential in building trust. Departments need to show that the hold themselves accountable and demonstrate that they are consistently working on protecting and serving the community to build trust.
The argument that COP is ineffective and police should revert back to basics is poorly supported. This is because the failures in environments where COP has been implemented are not entirely attributed to the approach. The design and implementation of COP is responsible for the problems that the police are experiencing in their effort to develop a productive relationship with the community. COP should be part of a framework rather than an independent initiative aimed at addressing historical injustices, departmental culture, and eroded community trust.
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