UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO

ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

EFFECTIVENESS OF CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES APPLIED BY THE
SAN ISIDRO MUNICIPAL POLICE STATION

A Proposal

Submitted to the Graduate School Faculty of

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES,
Cagayan de Oro City and DAVAO ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY, City of Mati

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters in Public

Administration of USTSP-DNSC-DOSCST-SPAMAST MPA CONSORTIUM

Submitted by:

HAROLD M KINATAGCAN
MPA – 2

February 2, 2019
 UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO
ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In our contemporary society at present, every country is facing various problems in

suppressing crime rate. Every country has different crime profile and no one could claim that
they had the best strategy that will lessen the increasing criminality. To deal with this
problem, law enforcement agencies had already move on to the principle of crime prevention
rather than crime fighting in order to determine their effectiveness and efficiency in
accomplishing their goals; to maintain peace and order, protect civil rights, civil liberties and
enforcing the law.

The evolution of Crime Prevention has been expanded that, from being seen as a
relatively narrow policing function, it evolves to the extent that it involves now a much broad
transversal approach by different state and community actors. It is now accepted that
prevention takes many forms, that it involves many sectors and levels of government and
civil society, and that local authorities and communities have a major role to play, supported
by strong sub-regional and national strategies and policy. There is accumulating evidence
that many prevention programs are not only effective in reducing offending and
victimization, but cost beneficial, resulting in considerable long-term savings for the
investment entailed, and bringing social and economic benefits well beyond reductions in
crime. Crime prevention is an aspect that every state has to consider in order to ensure
security as well as the safety. Peace and order relies on how efficient a state is in a position to
fight and prevent crime. There are laws set to assist in the governance process of every nation
and they decide on the penalties that an individual has to endure in order to ensure that
justice prevails. The police are a body by the government that has the responsibilities of
making sure that all the citizens adhere to the set laws at all times and in cases where there
are law breakers then they are in power to find and restrain them in government correction
facilities. Crime prevention programs are important since they contribute to an increased
 UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO
ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
security system. This crime prevention theory aims to prevent every potential criminal to
commit crime and decrease their opportunity in committing the same.
Criminality is a global experience which affects all nations economically, socially and
politically. The United States has not been spared with the daily occurrence of crimes
particularly in several big cities.

In the Philippines setting, crimes against person and property are usually reported crime
in the national news, due to its set up that the Philippines economic status is not enough in
order to satisfy the standard living of an individual. Despite of full effort to prevent crime,
the Philippine National Police (PNP) does not yet attain its foremost goal to successfully
implement crime prevention. The PNP adopts the crime prevention strategies of other
country that does not fit to the existing problem in terms of criminality in our country. Crime
prevention becomes the dilemma of the PNP organization because of their failure to prove
their effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of their duty.

Since Crime Prevention is the main concern of the PNP parlance, several studies have
been made in order to sustain the objective of crime prevention. This study will focus in the
assessment of the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies implemented by the San Isidro
Municipal Police Station and to look into if it is fit with the crime profile of the said town.

Finally, the result of this study would be important to the PNP organization to help them
plan and organize better crime prevention strategies that are deemed necessary for the
development of its own mandate.

1.1 Conceptual Framework

This study will revolved primarily on the effectiveness of Crime Prevention strategies
of San Isidro Municipal Police Station which will correlates with the existing Crime Profile
of the town as assessed by the San Isidro Police Officers and Barangay Officials of different
barangays is conceptualized from the premise that the more effective Crime Prevention
Strategies is implemented, the more the objectives of Crime Prevention could be attained as
manifested on their performance of their duty as a police officer.
 UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO
ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The effectiveness of the Crime Prevention strategies implemented by the police offi-
cers shall mean the depth of their being knowledgeable of their duties and functions which
could be manifested by their performance in terms of crime rate, numbers of crime preven-
tion programs implemented and the level of citizen’s trust to the police officer when it comes
to crime prevention.
Moreover, the study views that the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies imple-
mented by the law enforcement is influenced by some related variables like mobility, com-
munication, manpower and community support. In terms of the police mobility, it is believed
that patrol is the foremost duty of the police to implement crime prevention. On the commu-
nication of the police officers, it is likewise presumed that it could prevent crime by immedi-
ately reporting it to the police without interruption on the line of communication between the
ordinary citizen and the police officer. Manpower is also one variable to be the basis for the
Moreover, the study views that the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies implemented
by the law enforcement is influenced by some related variables like mobility, communica-
tion, manpower and community support. In terms of the police mobility, it is believed that
patrol is the foremost duty of the police to implement crime prevention. On the communica-
tion of the police officers, it is likewise presumed that it could prevent crime by immediately
reporting it to the police without interruption on the line of communication between the ordi-
nary citizen and the police officer. Manpower is also one variable to be the basis for the level
of the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies, in the way that good manpower manage-
ment can be a lead to a better control over the crime prevention programs implemented. The
manpower of the police organization in every place should be enough to sustain the needs for
protection of the ordinary individuals; it must be proportion to the number of the citizens in
one community. The community support is indispensable element to determine the police of-
ficer capability and effectivity in performance of their duty and function. The lower the com-
munities support the programs of the police in terms of crime prevention, the lower they trust
the police organization. The determinants in the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies
would be more emphasized in comparing the present police effort in preventing crime and
the factors affecting it to the existing crime rate.
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Input Process Output

Crime Profile of San Isidro

Municipal Police Station.

Crime prevention Assessing the crime

strategies applied by the
San Isidro Municipal
Police Station in terms of:
2.1 Mobility
2.2 Communications
2.3 Manpower
2.4 Community Support
profile of San Isidro
Municipal Police Station.
Assessing the
effectiveness of Crime Effectiveness on Crime
Prevention Strategies of Prevention Strategies
Assessed.
the San Isidro Municipal
Police Station in terms of:

Problems encountered in 2.1 Mobility

crime prevention 2.2 Communications Proposed measures to
strategies relative to: 2.3 Manpower enhance crime prevention
2.4 Community Support
3.1 Mobility
3.2 Communications Identifying Problems
3.3 Manpower
3.4 Community support
Community Support

Feedback

Figure 1. Paradigm showing the different variables as basis for the study

The paradigm of the study shows the input, process and output of the study. The first box
shows the input particularly on the crime prevention strategies initiated in the Municipality of
San Isidro, Davao Oriental. The second box is the process that includes the assessment of the
respondents through survey result, interview, documentary analysis, data gathering procedure
and statistical treatment.
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Finally, the last box pertains to the output of the study which will result to the
formulation of Effective Strategies on Crime Prevention Measures in San Isidro Municipal
Police Station.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study attempted to assess the crime prevention strategies initiated by the San
Isidro Municipal Police Station as well as the extent of community participation in crime
prevention.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the crime profile of San Isidro Municipal Police Station in terms of?
1.1. Crimes against Person
1.2. Crimes against Property
2. How effective are the crime prevention strategies implemented by the San Isidro
Municipal Police Station as assessed by the two (2) groups of respondents relative to:
2.1. Mobility
2.2. Communication
2.3. Manpower
2.4. Community Support
3. Is there a significant difference on the assessment of the 2 groups of respondents on
the effectiveness of implementation of the crime prevention strategies relative to the
above dimension?
4. Is there a significant difference between the crime profile of San Isidro Municipal
Police Station and the assessment of the 2 groups of respondents on the effectiveness
of Crime Prevention Strategies as implemented by the San Isidro Municipal Police
Station?
5. What are the problems encountered by the personnel of San Isidro Municipal
Police Station in the implementation of crime prevention strategies in terms of:
5.1. Mobility
5.2. Communications
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
5.3. Manpower
5.4 Community Support
6. What measures should be undertaken to further improve crime prevention
strategies?

1.3 Significance of the Study

PNP is an institution mandated by law to protect lives and property, protects civil rights of
every citizen and enforce the law if necessary. This mandate provided by the law will be the basis
of the police organization to make efforts in fulfilling their duty. As such, the PNP believes that
crime prevention is the key to attain this objective of the organization.
This research therefore will be valuable learning experience to every individual concerned
with the same study and for them also to use the result of this study as their basis to improve
crime prevention strategies in the future.
a. To the PNP Chief
With this result of the study, it will serve as a point of reference on creating
crime prevention strategies and policies that will give solution to other existing prob-
lems encountered in implementing such strategies.
This study also hopes to enhance the previous practices of the police partici-
pation in crime prevention and allow them to enrich their knowledge about crime pre-
vention and to challenge their present strategies.
b. To the PNP Officials and other Personnel
It is hoped that PNP officials and other personnel will be able to assess differ-
ent crime prevention strategies in order to upgrade their performance in their duty.
The result will give as an insight to concerned administrators and government offi-
cials to know the kind of scheme to be established in the different concerned commu -
nity.
c. To the Barangay Officials
This study may serve as an aide to give them knowledge in dealing of the ex-
isting crime prevention plans and to be able them to understand their role as an en -
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
forcement body in the creation and implementation of the PNP mandate in every
Barangay.
d. To the Community as a whole
To the community members, this study will serve as a challenge to utilize all
the programs implemented by the PNP which is beneficial to their life as a whole.
This study also make every citizen aware in their role to participate to the success of
crime prevention.

e. To the students
This study may serve as an instrument to awaken their consciousness in
present situation of criminality in our country. It is also provided for them to become
more responsible students to be aware in existing problem of our nation in maintain-
ing peace and order.
f. To Future Researchers
The result of the study shall serve as a ready reference for them with what-
ever similar studies they shall partake.

1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study will focus on the effectiveness of the crime prevention strategies imple-
mented by the San Isidro Municipal Police Station in the municipality of San Isidro, Davao
Oriental.
The variables covered in this study include the assessment of crime profile of the
town in terms of Crime against Person and Crime against Property, assessment of the crime
prevention strategies implemented in terms of mobility, communication, manpower and com-
munity support and the problems encountered by these crime prevention strategies.
This study will make use of the descriptive method of research with documentary
gathering as the main data gathering instrument.
The study will be conducted to the town of San Isidro, Davao Oriental especially to
all San Isidro Police Officers and to all Barangay Officials of 16 barangays.
 UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO
ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1.5 Definition of Terms

The following terms as used in this study are defined operationally for a clearer un-
derstanding and for common reference.

Police- refers to the men in uniform who are responsible for the peace and order in
the town of San Isidro, Davao Oriental.
Crime Prevention- deals with the practices of the Police in giving effort to reduce
crime in order to maintain peace by creating some ways to achieve its objectives. It is the ef-
fort of the San Isidro Police to remove those opportunities for a potential criminal to take ad-
vantage of whoever will become the vulnerable victim.
Strategies- it refers to the means made use in implementing the objectives of Crime
Prevention in the town of San Isidro.
Crime Profile- it refers to the statistics of major committed crime in the town of San
Isidro. It shows the highest and lowest crime rate committed in the area.
Mobility- it refers to the police effort in making close relation to the community by
doing some foot patrol in certain area of San Isidro, mobile patrol during nighttime. This is
used primarily to entertain immediately if an individual call for an assistance from the police.
Communication- in this study, this term was use to describe the mode of transferring
information of one police officer to his co-police officers.
Manpower- it refers to the number of the Police Officers who are assigned in the San
Isidro that are task in implementing those Crime Prevention Strategies.
Community Support- it refers to the level of concern of those citizens living in San
Isidro in Crime Prevention Strategies implemented by the police in the town. It also refers to
the high expectation of the community in the performance of every police officer in the town.
Level of Citizen’s Trust- in this study, the term was used to determine if each indi-
vidual of San Isidro believe in what the San Isidro Police are doing.
Function- it refers to a particular purpose for which a person or this is specially fitted
or used or for which a thing exists.
Criminal- those who has committed crime.
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES

This chapter presents some of the related literature all over the world which provided the
researchers with the needed direction and guide in their study especially in the format,
instrument and approach.

Reality beyond crime prevention

As with the rest of life, crime prevention can be seen to be both disarmingly simple
and bewilderingly complex. The disarmingly simple side relates to the prosaic, obvious, ev-
ery day, commonsense measures that are routinely and widely taken to minimize threats of
victimization. The bewilderingly complex side relates to the definition and prioritization of
crime for preventive attention; the prediction of future crime problems; the choice between
differing means of control; the language used to discuss and describe prevention; the mea-
surement of crime patterns and of the intended and unintended consequences of preventive
interventions; and estimating the costs and benefits of different methods of crime prevention.
(Tilley, Nick 2005)

Development of Crime Prevention Strategies

Crime prevention has entered a new, more robust phase of research activity and holds
greater relevance to policy and practice today than ever before. It stands as an important
component of an overall strategy to reduce crime. These achievements are not just the cumu-
lative effect of years of a slow, sometimes less than steady progress of a social movement;
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
other developments figure more prominently. Perhaps most important is the recent movement
toward rational and evidence-based crime policy. This has brought greater attention to the
need for higher quality program evaluations as well as the need for more rigorous, systematic
methods to synthesize the research evidence and examine policy implications. Related to this
development is the growing evidence base of scientific knowledge on the effectiveness of a
wide range of developmental and situational crime prevention modalities. Also of importance
to crime prevention‟s standing is the widely held view of the need to strike a greater balance
between prevention and punishment. This has become more urgent in recent years as many
states across the country are faced with budget crises, compounded by years of punitive
crime policies. Developmental and situational crime prevention seem well poised to help
change this state of affairs and make a major contribution to crime reduction in this country
(Welsh, Farrington, 2010)
Crime Prevention has been described as “any initiative or policy which reduces,
avoids or eliminates victimization by crime or violence. It includes governmental and non-
governmental initiatives to reduce fear of crime as well as lessen the impact of crime on vic-
tims” (Institute for the Prevention of Crime, 2010). Crime prevention encompasses a broad
array of approaches, including:

1. Developmental Crime Prevention (also referred to as Social Prevention). Measures

subsumed within this approach promote the well-being of people and encourage pro-

social behavior through social, economic, health and educational measures, with a

particular emphasis on children and youth. The goal is to intervene early in the lives

of at-risk individuals and groups so as to forestall the development of crime and other

behavioral problems later on (Homel, 2005). The focus is on risk and protective fac-

tors associated with criminal behavior, including personality factors, parental, peer,

and school-related factors.

2. Community or Locally-Based Crime Prevention. This approach tackles the neighbor-

hood conditions that influence offending and insecurity by drawing on the commit-
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ment and resources of community members. These efforts can range from organizing

neighborhood watch programs to neighborhood revitalization efforts (e.g., Weed and

Seed) and comprehensive programs that seek to improve a neighborhood’s cohesion

and image (Schlossman et al.,. 1984).

3. Situational Crime Prevention. This approach seeks to prevent the occurrence of

crimes by reducing opportunities for crime, increasing the risks of being appre-

hended, raising the level of effort required to commit crimes, and minimizing the ben-

efits from crime. Included here are such measures as target hardening, access control,

surveillance, and prevention through environmental design (Clarke, 1997). Situational

crime prevention can be undertaken by members of the public, businesses, schools,

and other facilities. It can be facilitated through a detailed analysis of a specific crime

to determine the vulnerabilities of a specific target or site toward the end of develop-

ing customized countermeasures.

4. Crime Prevention through the Justice System. Crime prevention measures may also

originate from the justice system. Targeted law enforcement strategies may focus on

specific crimes or on crime “hot spots”. Legal sanctions may have a deterrent effect

and incarceration may exercise an incapacitation effect by removing offenders from

society. In addition, interventions in custodial and community settings may be de-

signed to change offender behavior and thereby prevent recidivism. (Prevention Pro-

grams: A Literature Review,Thomas Gabor Ph.D.,2011,pp3-5)

Strategies and Best Practices in Crime Prevention particular in relation to Urban Areas
at risk
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
With the growth of crime prevention practice internationally has come a range of as-
sociated concerns and problems: about the appropriateness of interventions, the difficulties of
evaluating their effectiveness, of the capacities of local actors to implement good programs,
about the difficulties of sustaining interventions beyond their initial pilot phase, or scaling up
to city-wide or country-wide applications, and about the difficulties of sustaining interven-
tions after changes of personnel or government. 'What works' in crime prevention does not
depend solely on having well-designed programs. Much depends on the capacity of the actors
in the field to establish the conditions for implementing programs well, and to manage the
'process'. It also depends on policy makers understanding the need for longer-term invest-
ment and planning, and not focusing only on short-term results. Ensuring that strategies are
maintained, well monitored and sustained beyond the life of a government is a further chal-
lenge.

The Philippine strategy and best practice for crime Prevention: Community-Oriented
Policing
Just like other developing countries throughout the world, the Philippines lacks the
resources and capacity to readily put into effect the international guidelines and agreements
on crime prevention. However, this constraint did not prevent us from finding ways and
means to effectively implement them in our country. It is for this reason that we have reso-
lutely crafted and evolved appropriate strategies and best practices for crime prevention
which are assimilated to our situation and historical experiences. Having overthrown a well-
entrenched dictatorship, and restored democracy in our country through a bloodless people
power revolution in 1986, we are fully cognizant of the insuperable force of people power
and appreciate its great benefits to our country. Capitalizing on this historical experience,
what we lack in resources and capacity is being addressed and made up for through people
power. Hence, the Philippine strategy and best practice for crime prevention that I will be
presenting today is not only community-based, but also people-powered, and is known as the
Community-Oriented Policing System, or COPS for short. The outline and sequence of my
presentation is as follows: COPS: Strategy, COPS: Best Practice, and Concluding Perspec-
tive.
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COPS: Strategy

COPS is primarily a national police strategy for crime prevention, based on the imple-
mentation of the proposed holistic National Anti-Crime Strategy (NACS), which came about
as an offshoot of the Philippine participation in the 1991 UN Ministerial Conference on
Crime Prevention. The Philippine National Police officially adopted and started implement-
ing COPS as a flagship program on August 15, 1994. It is significant to note that the holistic
NACS was finally adopted in the National Crime Prevention Program, which was approved
by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on February 2, 2004.

Basic Principles/Foundations
Aside from the NACS, the basic principles that serve as COPS foundations
are the following:
1. Interdependence of Peace and Development
As aptly stated in the UN Milan Plan of Action in 1985: “The problem
of crime demands a concerted response (…) to reduce opportunities for the
commission of crimes and to address relevant socio-economic factors, such as
poverty, inequality and unemployment”.

2. Shared Responsibility for Policing

As prescribed by Robert Peel: “The police are the public and the pub-
lic are the police; police officers are only members of the public who are paid
to give full time attention to the duties which are incumbent on every citizen
in the interest of the community welfare”.
3. Indispensability of People Power in Crime Fighting
“The greatest source of power with which to wage war against crimi-
nality, insurgency, terrorism, and other threats to peace and order lies among
the people.” (Montreal, 2007)

The effectiveness of visible police patrol

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES– DAVAO
ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Research into public expectations of policing in the UK has previously high-
lighted a strong preference for a highly visible police presence. However, when these
views were explored in more detail, it was discovered that people’s seemingly in-
stinctive reaction to call for ‘more bobbies on the beat’ was motivated by a desire to
see crime reduced. The study also suggested that the police can help ensure the public
accept and support the targeting of resources in high priority areas by engaging them
in a dialogue. (Myhill, 2006)
Community Policing and Communication

It is beneficial to make the training of police officers as experiential, interac-

tive and participatory as possible. For example, a fair amount of law enforcement
training could include simulation exercises and problem-solving activities that help
develop communication and language skills. A key element of success within any of
the community oriented policing methods is effective communication. Minimal edu-
cation related to effective communication skills and strategies has been provided to
police officers. (Yardley, 2013)

Context Matters When Considering Staffing Analysis

When asked to provide department-specific contexts for their staffing experi-

ences, respondents listed circumstances that were remarkably similar across agencies.
Budget constraints were important to almost all respondents. Respondents from more
than half the agencies in our sample stated that their relationships with state or local
governments were strained because of the recent recession and subsequent budget ne-
gotiations. Such strains, they added, have actually led agencies of varying size to
share knowledge and strategy. Professional organizations help provide connections
for sharing strategies. The perceived unique context of each jurisdiction is both a dis-
advantage and a potential benefit for staffing analyses. Because they feel their envi-
ronments are unique, some practitioners feel that inter-departmental comparisons
yield few tangible solutions to problems that they have faced independently over long
periods of time. Respondents from three agencies expressed a desire to conduct
analyses, but were reluctant to use peer comparisons because of the perception that no
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
other agency has a similar operational environment. One respondent said that al-
though “we’re always looking at what others are doing,” specific organizational is-
sues not shared by others make such comparisons “meaningless.” Such an attitude
may isolate agencies professionally. As one chief commented, “We’re not in competi-
tion with each other,” and “all our problems are basically the same.” Using peer com-
parisons in budget negotiations may counter or confirm perceptions that an agency’s
struggle is common or unique, allowing for informal and casual comparisons upon
which many professional relationships are based. Peer benchmarking can also help
mitigate insular thinking and the potential belief that the agencies and communities
are more different than they truly are. In fact, as discussed throughout this guidebook,
agencies share a lot of common characteristics and experiences.

Community Policing and Problem-Solving Efforts Are Being Compromised

Perceived understaffing may undercut community policing and similar prob-

lem-solving efforts. Many agencies disclosed that the relationship between staffing
and community policing efforts may not be linear. Problem-solving may be struc-
turally integrated in community-oriented approaches to patrol, response, follow-up,
and organizational transparency. Nevertheless, both specialized units (often in the
form of school, housing, or business-related outreach programs) and proactive patrol
efforts are compromised because of restrictions in uncommitted officer time arising
from budget cutbacks. (Wilson, Weiss, 2012)

Building Police-Community Relationships

The relationship of the police to the community should be harmonious. The

community relies upon the police department to “protect and serve” and the police, in
return, rely upon community support and cooperation in order to be effective. When
communication and trust deteriorate, tensions build between the community and po-
lice and undermine their shared goal of safer communities. Poor communication be-
tween the police and communities served was the problem listed most frequently, in a
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ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
variety of ways, by police and community members surveyed. When asked what the
main problems are when it comes to police-community relations, police leaders listed
“language barriers,” “connecting with the community,” and “lack of meaningful com-
munication on both sides and lack of understanding of police practices” as obstacles
to better relations. This list is similar to the one provided by community members,
who listed “lack of communication,” “language barriers,” and “lack of relationships”
as barriers to getting along with the police.
Communication is an active, not passive, process. It is not merely the provi-
sion of information or demands to another, rather it is a process of engagement, of lis-
tening, of seeking out and understanding what the other is trying to express. Where
communities and police departments are communicating successfully with each other,
how are they doing it? What are specific cities doing, either successfully or not so
successfully? Are formal communications plans (at least between police leaders and
the community) the way to go? What process should be instituted that would allow
one group to understand the other so that trust might flourish? In this section, we will
discuss strategies that police can use in reaching out to communities. Such strategies
include: incorporating accountability and transparency; creating opportunities for ed-
ucational exchanges such as “citizens’ police academies;” establishing regular neigh-
borhood meetings and maintaining communication and follow-up between these
meetings; and organizing forums to discuss policies, tactics, or technology of interest
to community. We will also examine the strategies used by the communities to reach
out to and educate the police about the community, such as maintaining communica-
tion and follow up between neighborhood meetings, canvassing for volunteers and es-
tablishing an active roster, and raising awareness of neighborhood meetings (West,
2001).