The Bill Blackwood

Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas

Community Policing Coupled with Crime Prevention

An Administrative Research Paper

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
For Graduation Requirement from the
Leadership Command College

By
Delvin “Dale” Dockery

Smithville Police Department

Smithville, Texas
January, 2004
 ABSTRACT

Combining community policing with crime prevention in the police academy as one of

the core classes will make a difference to the individual officer when he or she is employed. By

coupling community policing with crime prevention, cadets can excel once they reach their duty

station. Also, by association and assessing the impact of merging community policing and crime

prevention, a way to improve law enforcement will be created, along with a design method so

that each officer can benefit without difficulty.

My conclusions on this method are based on research supported by the National Institute

of Justice and a survey administered to various Law Enforcement agencies. One of the most

startling components of my findings is that police themselves create a risk factor to crime, by

simple using bad manners. Thus, when police themselves are less respectful towards offenders,

the less people will comply by the law.

In short, community policing and crime prevention have their ultimate strength together.

By testing and answering the basic question of “what works and what doesn’t,” any officer can

determine what is appropriate for his agency.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Abstract

Introduction……………………………………………………………….…………………...….1

Review of Literature…………………..………..…………………………………………..….....2

Methodology……………………………………………..…………………………………….....7

Findings…………………………………………………………………………..……….…...….8

Discussion/Conclusions…………………………………………………………………..…..….13

References………………………………………………………………………….…..….……..15

Appendix
 The Bill Blackwood
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas

Community Policing Coupled with Crime Prevention

An Administrative Research Paper

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
For Graduation Requirement from the
Leadership Command College

By
Delvin “Dale” Dockery

Smithville Police Department

Smithville, Texas
March, 2004
 ABSTRACT
Combining community policing with crime prevention is needed in today’s

society. By coupling community policing with crime prevention in the police academy,

cadets can excel once they reach their duty station. Also, by association and assessing

the impact of merging community policing and crime prevention, a way to improve law

enforcement will be created, along with a design method so that each officer can benefit

without difficulty. The methods used are based on research supported by the National

Institute of Justice, a survey administered to Law Enforcement personnel and the

author’s personal experiences. One of the most startling components of my findings is

that police themselves create a risk factor to crime, by simply using bad manners.

Thus, when police themselves are less respectful towards offenders, the less people will

comply by the law. In short, community policing and crime prevention have ultimate

strength together.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Abstract

Introduction……………………………………………………………….…………………....1

Review of Literature…………………..………..…………………………………………......3

Methodology……………………………………………..………………………………….....8

Findings…………………………………………………………………………..…….…...….8

Discussion/Conclusions……………………………………………………………...…..…...9

References…………………………………………………………………….……….……..13

Appendix
 1

INTRODUCTION

The world is ever changing. Police departments in America are constantly

looking for ways to educate their citizens. One educational avenue is through

community policing which is a stand-alone program. Another educational source is

teaching citizen’s safety and awareness through a crime prevention program.

Combining the two programs would enhance the benefits of both.

Community response is crucial in an effective community-policing program.

Likewise, crime prevention fundamentals and concepts will provide the techniques to

prevent the deterrence of crime. It includes every aspect of traditional law enforcement

and crime prevention. There is a difference in the police officer training only.

Community policing coupled with crime prevention has to be sold not only to the

community but also to the police officers that deliver the program. The public service

practitioner must sell the concept of the combination of the two programs every day. By

mobilizing community policing and crime prevention under the same umbrella and

encouraging citizen participation and awareness, the community as a whole benefits.

Community policing is defined as a philosophy that focuses on crime and social

disorder through its delivery of police service (Community Oriented Policing Philosophy,

2003). Crime prevention defined is the anticipation, recognition, and the appraisal of

the crime risk and the initiation of action to remove or reduce it (Introduction to Crime

Prevention, 2000). The similarities in the definition of community policing to crime

prevention can be seen.

The purpose of this research is examine both community policing and crime

prevention programs and show the advantages of coupling community policing with
 2

crime prevention. Police officers must have an understanding of crime prevention

programs and be able to emphasize how important it is to make recommendations over

absolutes. Vicarious liability should always caution every law enforcement officer

regarding information that is given to citizens on crime prevention techniques. Officers

should have the skills and knowledge and the know-how to offer up-to-date services to

citizens.

The methodology that will be used for this project will include a review of

available literature, a survey, and the researcher will reflect on personal experience

from over 10 years in law enforcement. Strong indications will be presented about a

positive approach for coupling community policing with crime prevention. The current

law enforcement system may soon come under attack due to neglect in not coupling the

two programs together. A closer look into the continuity of growth of the number of

Americans in our jails and prisons should be taken into account.

Great communities are made. They are not born. Likewise, the same is true for

police officers. By combining the two programs together, communities and the police

will have a pleasant outcome. Everyone, no matter how experienced, can benefit from

learning new skills. Every police officer should become a crime prevention practitioner.

Training and understanding of community policing and crime prevention will remove the

frustration and the compounded attitude most police have about the topics. Experience

and training will denounce any fear about community policing being a stand-alone

program.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In the mid 1980s, traditional law enforcement gravitated to community policing.

During this period of time, the make up in the community had rapidly changed. There
 3

was a decline in the nuclear family. This brought about the representation of the single-

family head of household. Law enforcement administrators noticed the increase in

crime. Substance abuse was running rampant. There were other oppositions and

roadblocks that kept administrators from being effective. Some of the oppositions were

political and some were from within the ranks of the department.

In today’s society, the inmate population is exceeding city, county, and state

capacities. Consequently, there is a need to reduce the inmate population and

subsequently reduce the millions of dollars spent to build new jails. In 2002, the

population of inmates had grown to a total of 2,033,331 prisoners held in federal, state,

and local jails. December 31st, 2002 findings show that the numbers increased 3.7%

from yearend 2001. The statistics revealed that there were an estimated 476 prison

inmates per 100,000 United States residents. Conclusive findings showed that at the

yearend of 2002, the number of Black male prisoners totaled 3,437 sentenced per

100,000 Black males. This was compared to 1,176 Hispanic male inmates per 100,000

Hispanic males. There were 450 White male inmates per 100,000 white males (Bureau

of Justice Statistics, 2003).

The family is a fundamental social institution found in all societies. With the

correctional institutions population in the United States increasing, there is a need to

look at the social mobility in America today. The statistics from the correctional

population can be used to measure the social mobility of those in American prisons.

There are factors such as educational credentials, skills, or experience that influences

social mobility. Law enforcement and the court system today are at the crossroads. By

combining community policing and crime prevention together in the law enforcement
 4

academy, a model can be developed to stop the reproduction of the prison population.

This could be the start of a social relationship between crime prevention and community

policing, between citizens and police. Promoting crime prevention through community

policing, in theory, should decline the prison population.

The American Heritage Dictionary (1978) provides the following definition:

Professional – of related to, engaged in, specific activity as a source of livelihood;

preformed by persons receiving pay; having great skills or experience in a particular

field or activity. All law enforcement should display a high level of professionalism in

their employment positions and in their daily lives.

Dr. Lawrence W. Sherman of the University of Pennsylvania Criminology

Department completed a study on “Policing for Crime Prevention”. The study

summarizes the strengths of policing in relation to rigor in a scientific method. In

reviewing the study, eight major hypotheses about how police can prevent crime are

presented.

1. Number of Police – The more police a city employs, the less crime it will have.
2. Rapid Response to 911 – The shorter the police travel time from assignment
to arrival at a crime.
3. Random Patrols – The random patrol a city received, the more a perceived
“omnipresence” of the police will deter crime in public places.
4. Directed Patrol – The more precisely patrol presence is concentrated at the
“hot spots” of criminal activity, the less crime there will be in those places and
times.
5. Reactive Arrests – The more arrests police make in response to reported or
observed offenses of any kind, the less crimes there will be.
6. Proactive Arrests – The higher the police-initiated arrest rate for high-risk
offenders and offenses, the lower the rates of serious violent crime.
7. Community Policing – The more quantity and better quality of contacts
between police and citizens, the less crime.
8. Problem-Oriented Policing – The more police can identify and minimize
proximate causes of specific patterns of crime, the less crime there will be.
 5

The figure below is this author’s charted conclusion to Dr. Sherman’s study.

The Scale of Strength for Cause and Effect

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong
Moderate

Moderate
Weak

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The above figure is a summarization of the eight hypothesis presented by Dr. Sherman.

Figure I

This author believes a ninth (9th) component should be composed of coupling

community policing and crime prevention together.

This researcher has experience and exposure to both crime prevention and

community policing. Formal training in crime prevention was obtained at the Institute of

Criminal Justice Studies at Texas State University, the old Southwest Texas State

University in San Marcos, Texas. It is the opinion of the researcher that community

policing is “How do I (the officer) deal with people and their problems?” The majority of

citizens have interacted with law enforcement. Whatever the level of involvement there

will be times when citizens satisfaction will be challenged. Response time to a case

going unsolved can directly impact citizen satisfaction.

 6

During training, a well-kept secret was introduced to this researcher called Crime

Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), which is a design program within a

program (Introduction to Crime Prevention, 2000). Through the author’s experiences

CPTED and community policing both can be viewed as part of a comprehensive crime

prevention strategy. This class influenced the researcher positively about crime and the

successful applications for coordinating community response programs.

Community policing is in use progressively in law enforcement today. It can be

used as the foundation and then integrating crime prevention into it. Everyone in the

community has to take responsibility for staying safe. Crime prevention can be used to

recognize danger.

Preventative maintenance is the substance for community policing and crime

prevention. One of the many tasks for law enforcement today is to be effective with

community policing programs. A proactive approach is needed to couple crime

prevention and community policing together. By creating a course curriculum in

community policing and crime prevention that can be taught at the Police Academy, a

police officer will graduate from any given police academy with a basis of knowledge of

both programs and how they can effectively work together. All officers will agree and

acknowledge, from the new recruits to the veteran officers, the ability to solve cases in a

prompt manner is important.

The ethnicity ratio and the growth in our American jails were reviewed. The

factors and the gap in percentages were explored. There is an alarming increase in the

recorded number of incarcerations per ethnic ratio in our American prisons and jails. A

straight line to community policing and crime prevention unquestionably is linked

 7

together. Law enforcement can improve the quality of life for everyone in our

community with emphasis on well-structured programs with a personal touch.

Good community policing training coupled with crime prevention training for

officers can assist the officers in serving all citizens and in stopping criminals who prey

freely on society. An officer’s influence and ability will be greatly enhanced. Insufficient

knowledge slows any resolution to a crime or complaint.

To insure that families are protected, a preventative approach urgently needs to

be introduced throughout law enforcement. Law enforcement officers are

professionals. Each officer needs professional training. Citizens always judge officers

on the level of training that they receive.

There are two terms that comes to mind when lack of training exists. Gross

negligence and ordinary negligence are critical to all police agencies and officers.

Gross negligence is just shy of being reckless in regards to the safety or the lives of

others (Introduction to Crime Prevention, 2000). A police officer will raise his hand to

protect others and their property. Any officer can be held liable in litigation, if gross

negligence is found, and could also result in punitive damages. Ordinary negligence

deals with the failure to exercise the degree of care an ordinary and prudent person

would exercise under the same or similar circumstances (Introduction to Crime

Prevention, 2000). The point is that a police officer should be careful when making an

appraisal. The inadequate suggestion could be the turning point in a lawsuit. Another

term that may be foreign to some officers is vicarious liability meaning they are

responsible.
 8

It is a tragedy, but true, that as professionals, assumptions and

recommendations cannot be made based solely on training and experiences. Having

the ability to act backed by the training and experiences will be the key for without

action, nothing will ever change. How far one goes in life depends solely on the efforts

one is willing to put forth. How one is willing to serve their community will be the

question one must ask one self. It is important that this concept works. Your success is

dependant on your ability to perceive it.

METHODOLOGY

Does community policing and crime prevention coupled together work? Does

coupling community policing techniques with crime prevention in the police academy

better prepare the officer for his/her daily duties? It is hypothesized that an officer will

be better equipped and more effective when police academy training couples

community policing techniques with crime prevention. The author’s experience

associated with the subject will also be presented.

The foundation to present the findings will be based upon a survey of 29 law

enforcement personnel, commanders and line officers from Texas along with a review

of a study performed by University of Pennsylvania professor Lawrence W. Sherman.

The survey raised critical questions and made suggestions regarding the need to

reduce the number or the percentage of the growing inmate population in prisons.

FINDINGS

Based on the definitions of community policing and crime prevention, 100% of

those surveyed agreed that it be a value and improvement to the quality of life for every

community and its residents to place the two programs together. Everyone also agreed
 9

that a police/community relationship would summon every citizen and the police to take

the appropriate steps to prevent and reduce crime, which could be America’s most

urgent social concern.

The outcome of the author’s survey sufficiently shows that a department will

improve operating efficiency by combining the two programs, community policing and

crime prevention. This method will give the individual officer the ability to focus on

projects that vary in levels of complexity. Also, the officer will be committed to team

concepts of working with the citizens, empowering others to take responsibility, and to

be responsive to the citizens they serve. In many cases, they will serve culturally and

racially diverse communities.

STATISTICS FROM AUTHOR’S SURVEY

29 6/18/03 Agreed
l l l
l l l
l l l
Number Date Survey 100%
Surveyed Conducted

Survey participants analyzed the recommendations

and agreed to the implementation.

The author completed a 40-hour basic Crime prevention course. Topics included

introduction to physical security, lock terminology and property codes. The block of

instruction also included electronic alarms, shoplifting prevention, lighting and its uses,
 10

security surveys, sexual assault prevention, and auto theft prevention. All the survey’s

participants agreed that based on the definition for community policing and compared to

topics covered in the author’s crime prevention course, there is a balance with the two.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

As the future progresses in law enforcement, yesterday’s position or stance could

have a harmful effect. So, that leads to the issue of not coupling community policing

and crime prevention together. Ten years ago, the programs separately were

dependable tools. Today it is not longer necessary to have them stand-alone.

President Bush’s policy, the National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD), states that

Law Enforcement administrators, directors, and managers should implement strategies

to protect their citizens (Homeland Security Presidential Directives-5, 2003). Combing

the programs would be a less intrusive way. The respondents to the author’s survey

rate the level of cooperation to this strategy.

Does community policing and crime prevention coupled together work? It can.

The idea was introduced showing why it should be coupled together. This researcher

suggests specialized training in community policing and crime prevention should be

incorporated into the police academy.

Police officers today need to understand the disparities within communities and

reach out to neighborhoods with open arms. Realizing that they, as the police, rely on

citizens for information about crimes in their neighborhood. Also, they depend on the

same citizens to pay their taxes and subsequently their salaries. Law enforcement

provides a service to the community and should aim to do the job very well.

Sometimes, knowing where to begin is hard. Many times ideas for projects have been

left on the shelf because no one knew how to start them. Training in community
 11

policing programs can have a dynamic effect as long as the presenters are accurate

and honest.

The primary or first approach to community policing and crime prevention

educational programs must be one that when the program is put into place it will capture

the interest of the community. Remembering that what works in one community may

not work for another. Second, community members should not have to work hard to

understand what is expected of them. Meetings should always be short, as possible,

along with a purpose. Additional information can be used to maintain their interest.

Primary focus is on subject matter and its promotion. Develop good information and

facts for the community to explore. Followed, thirdly, in building a desire for community

members to follow lead. Citizens should have a pleasant image of an officer as nice, as

their leader, etc. and prove to them that they can always come to any officer with

community problems. Finally, the community must have confidence in the officer and

the officer should never make claims that they cannot fulfill.

In the Introduction to Crime Prevention class offered at Texas State University,

the topics covered are as follows:

• Vicarious Liability
• Introduction to Physical Security
• Introduction to Lock terminology and Mechanical security
• Texas Insurance Code and Property Code
• Safes
• Robbery Prevention
• Electronic Alarms
• Shoplifting Prevention
• Lighting and Its uses
• Introduction to Security Surveys
• Check and Credit Fraud
• Sexual Assault Prevention
• Neighborhood Watch Programs
• Auto Theft Prevention Programs
 12

• Crime Stoppers
• Crime Prevention Programming for Kids
• Victims of Crimes Programs
• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design

The author suggests that the following community policing topics should be
included with the crime prevention course:

• Public Education/Media Programs

• Neighborhood Watch Programs
• Special Problems Solving Units
• Foot or Horse patrol
• Fixed Patrol Assignment
• Neighborhood Town Meeting
• Auxiliary Volunteer Program
• Victim Re-contact Programs
• Community Newsletter/Websites
• Storefront Ministrations

It is true that opposites attract and that is certainly the case in partnering

community policing and crime prevention. Law enforcement can gain a track record in

community policing and crime prevention in developing a desire to help others succeed

by bringing the two programs together. Once having gained knowledge and

experience, then the systems joining forces will be supported. The researcher attributes

the personal success in both community policing and crime prevention to the habit of

commitment and self-development, not only believing in hard work and working hard for

the community but also carrying pride for and in the vocation chosen.

In conclusion, all law enforcement entities should see the need to cultivate

community-policing programs, attend crime prevention classes, get to know everyone in

the community, break through the comfort zones, learn new strategies, and become risk

takers. One of the most stressful things about police work is the fear of the unknown.

Community policing and crime prevention go well beyond what is around the corner or

who is behind the door. The fear of the unknown quickly becomes the known.
13
 14

REFERENCES

American Heritage Dictionary. 1978. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company,

Dictionary Division, One Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02017

Bureau of Justice Statistics. Prison Statistics, created by the US Department of

Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved on December 22, 2003 from
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm

Community Oriented Policing Philosophy, retrieved on December 12, 2003 from

http://www.chiefwalters.com/philosophy/cop.html

Homeland Security Presidential Directives/HSPD-5. Released by Office of the

Press Secretary, The White House, February 28, 2003. Retrieved on
March 15, 2004 from http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/hspd-5.html

Introduction to Crime Prevention, course dated December 4th through 8th, 2000,
Crime Prevention Program: The Institute of Criminal Justice Studies,
Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas 78660, 512-245-
3030

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), National Crime

Prevention Council: 1000 Connecticut Avenue, NW 13th Floor,
Washington, DC 20036, Retrieved on December 27, 2003 from
http://www.ncpc.org/ncpc/ncpc/?pg=5882-206-2486

Sherman, Lawrence W., Thinking About Crime Prevention, (Chapter 2) of

Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising, A report
prepared by the National Institute of Justice Grant Number 96MUMU0019,
Retrieved on January 23, 2004 from
http://www.ncjrs.org/works/chapter2.htm

Sherman, Lawrence W., Policing for Crime Prevention, (Chapter 8) of Preventing

Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising, A report prepared
by the National Institute of Justice Grant Number 96MUMU0019,
Retrieved on December 27, 2003 from
http://www.ncjrs.org/works/chapter8.htm
 APPENDIX

June 17, 2003

Rudy Supak
Smithville Police Department
105 NW 4th Street
Smtihville, Texas 78957

Dear Law Enforcement Colleague:

I am Currently enrolled in the Bill Blackwood Law enforcement Management Institute of Texas. This is a
valuable learning experience. In March of 2003, I completed Module I held at Texas A & M University.
All attendees are required to write an Administrative Research Paper (ARP). I am writing my research
paper in the area and topic of Community Policing Response coupled with Crime Prevention.

This ARP requires a survey and my survey will be centered on the overall definition of Community Policing
and Crime Prevention. Community Policing defined as Police-Community relations, the back-to the
community movement and problem-oriented policing. Crime Prevention defined as the anticipation,
recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of action to remove or reduce it.

Please complete the Survey Below and return it to me.

1. Are you currently licensed and authorized through The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
Officers’ Standards and Education to perform a crime prevention survey? YES or NO

2. Based on the definitions above, by placing the two together, would it be a value and improve the
quality of life for every community and its residents? YES or NO

3. A Police/Community relationship will summon every citizen and police officer to take the
appropriate steps to prevent crime. AGREE or DISAGREE

4. Reducing crime could be our country’s most urgent social concerns. AGREE or DISAGREE

5. When I took the 40 hour Basic Crime Prevention course, we covered topics such as Introduction
to Physical Security, Lock Terminology and Mechanical Security, Texas Insurance Code &
Property Code, Electronic Alarms, Shoplifting Prevention, Lighting and Its Uses, Security Surveys,
Sexual Assault Prevention, Auto Theft Prevention, etc. Based on the Definition for Community
Policing and compared to the topics covered in my crime prevention courses, is there a balance
with the two? Can you make a reasonable argument not supporting the two together?
YES or NO WHY or WHY NOT?

6. Do you feel if the police could establish a partnership with the community and had additional
training in the crime prevention topics that were listed earlier, would result in savings to the
agency and community both? AGREE or DISAGREE

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Chief Dale Dockery