poor area crime

Cordner's four principle dimensions of community policing are:

The philosophical dimension-includes the ideas and beliefs surrounding the new paradigm of policing which include citizen input, enhanced and broadened police function and personal service.

The tactical dimension-translates ideas, philosophies and strategies into concrete programs, practices and behaviors.  Incorporates improving and forming strong relationships with community members, improved relationships and problem solving.  This idea plays off the philosophical and strategic dimensions in that it creates an operational plan.

The strategic dimension-reoriented operations such as foot patrols, geographical permanency which would allow the same officers to become known throughout an assigned area by gaining familiarity with the residents

Organizational dimension-this is vital to community policing.  It emphasizes a sound structure for police agencies, management and information services to accommodate community policing strategies through changes such as decentralization, program planning and strategic planning.

The assumption that community justice agencies cannot accomplish crime control lends to the fact that community participation is vital to creating safe neighborhoods.  Problem orientated policing may have been effective tool in the case of Mark.  The police may have been able to set up community forums to discuss the concerns of those that live in the area.  By doing this they may have been able to institute a buy back gun program that may have led to these young gang members selling their guns to the police, no questions asked in times of financial crisis.  They may have also learned that due to a lack of jobs in the area that maybe there needs to be a city initiative with the mayor to try and bring back jobs or find new investors that would come to the area to revitalize it and create new positive working opportunities for those lacking employment.  By having community policing the officers would be able to get to know those who reside in a neighborhood and form bonds with them that could aid in the help of investigative work.  They would be able to have the citizens reach out and discuss with them the problems in the area and people who could pose a threat to public safety.  People would also feel less threatened by police and be able to offer information about crimes.  I would place foot-patrol during certain hour’s through-out the community so that people can see and talk to the police about things that did not have to necessarily do with emergencies.  The deployment of officers that places them in situations where they can bond with average citizens makes the police-community relationship better.  By having police and community member’s work together they can stamp out crime and try to revitalize the neighborhood.  Removing known prostitutes and drug dealers can help clean up the streets and promote and area that would be good for business for potential investors.  The police departments would have to change their structures.  They would have to create a mission statement that shows they are going to follow through with the new neighborhood policing strategies that will benefit the community.  This can provide people with a hope that their neighborhoods are going to change and become safer.  The public’s attitudes about police and vice versa can change promoting good working relationships between those authority figures and the public.   They can create a police substation in the neighborhood with a victim contact program where Marks girlfriend could have went if she felt threatened by him having a gun in the house.  A neighborhood watch would be enacted to make sure that when there are not police eyes and ears around, even still crimes and offenders can be located and reported.  Citizen contact Patrol would be initiated and in the case of Mark the police may have been able to find out information that he carried a weapon.  Police officers in Schools would be enacted to make sure that they have an eye and ear to the ground when it comes to youthful offenders.  Their presence could potentially help improve police, citizen relationships and may even help keep students on track with attending school and furthering their education by being good role models.