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Community Policing

Background

Community policing is a new approach to public safety. It combines the best aspects of several time-proven policing techniques in order to combat not only crime and disorder, but also the fear of crime and the likelihood of crime. It is both a philosophical approach and a set of practical steps to carry out that approach.

Community policing allows police to work with the community and other organizations, both public and private, to address local concerns and move towards long-term solutions to crime-related problems. Community policing was adopted by the Perry Township Police Department in 1997.

Community wide involvement is a crucial element of community policing. Community policing requires more than involving the citizens in a geographical area such as an identifiable neighborhood. The community policing model also requires the inclusion of other governmental agencies, the educational system, public and private social service providers, and many local businesses. Also included are the criminal justice system, human rights groups, religious-based resources, and any other groups that can help find and maintain solutions to the community's needs. In addition, the family unit must again become a major player in the crime prevention arena.

We have just started to design our process of implementation of community policing. With our mission, together with the people of Perry Township, is to make our township a place where all people live safely and without fear. We believe that public safety is first and foremost the business of every citizen. By working together, we can make the city a safe place where people can live, work, and raise their families without fear.

The Perry Township Police Department is committed to developing an innovative approach to policing that draws heavily on common sense problem-solving in full partnership with the community, its businesses, and other township and public agencies. Rather than responding repeatedly to the same public safety problems, our community policing approach tries to get "out in front" of problems by identifying the causes and then working cooperatively with the affected parties to lessen or solve them. Our approach is a balanced one that relies equally on law enforcement, crime prevention, and community involvement in issues that affect public safety.

This plan, and the process we are using to develop it, is really an effort to take a close look at this philosophy and approach to policing, to make sure that it will address fully the challenges and needs of our community in the coming years.

The Perry Township Police Department is at a point where community policing is in its developmental stages. A number of strategies or activities that are often part of community policing initiatives will be implemented during the next year.

Goals of Community Policing

A major strategy proposed by the plan to meet its goals was to establish community policing in Perry Township. This approach will best serve the public safety needs of the Perry Township community.

  • Empower the people of Perry Township to resist crime and unsafe conditions, resolve the root issues underlying social ills, and create a safe community well-informed on public safety issues.
  • Provide an adequate response to street-level, "quality-of-life" complaints in the community without reducing the department's capability to continue to respond appropriately to emergencies.
  • Establish partnerships with schools, social service agencies, citizen groups, etc., for the purpose of developing effective prevention strategies.
  • Reduce the demand for future police, fire and emergency medical services by addressing the causes of public safety problems.
  • Reduce the fear of crime.
  • Increase the capacity of the department to engage citizens and community groups in day-to-day problem-solving and prevention activities, while maintaining full response capabilities and relieving certified personnel from tasks not requiring their particular training or expertise.
  • Furnish the township with quality essential police services; subscribe and conform to the highest professional standards in an effort to protect the constitutional rights, lives, and property of the citizens consistent with community goals and policies.