Community Policing and Community Policing and Collaboration: Implications of Collaboration: Implications of

a Flat Worlda Flat World

William Wells

Center for the Study of CrimeSouthern Illinois University Carbondale

March 31, 2006

The Flat WorldThe Flat World The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-

First Century (2005)– By Thomas L. Friedman

It is more possible today than at any other time for more people to collaborate– “. . .a global, Web-enabled playing field that allows for

multiple forms of collaboration – the sharing of knowledge and work – in real time, without regard to geography, distance, or, in the near future, even language.” (p. 176)

The Flat WorldThe Flat World

What are some of the implications of a flatter world that are relevant for policing?1. The playing field has shifted from top down (vertical)

to side to side (horizontal) operations Management practices change from command and control to

connecting and collaborating The small can act big; fosters individual imagination (Innovative) Responses result from horizontal collaborations

between actors and groups more so than from top down approaches. Distinct specialties with unique values can be combined

The Flat WorldThe Flat World

Implications (continued)2. A connecting and collaborating approach

means sorting out is necessary One implication of horizontal collaboration is that is

might create strange bedfellows Power must be shared

The Flat WorldThe Flat WorldImplications (continued)

3. Trust is necessary for a flat world. Threats can’t paralyze

– Trust facilitates openness, innovation, and flattening. Trust allows for barriers to be knocked down and friction to be reduced

– Greater collaborating means more interactions between people who are not familiar with one another.

The Flat World of PolicingThe Flat World of Policing Police reliance on public support and cooperation;

importance of collaboration

Policing innovations, including community policing, appreciate the importance of collaboration and have advocated for developing new collaborative relationships and enhancing existing ones

Several examples illustrate the flat world of policing

Evidence Evidence St. Louis consent-to-search programSt. Louis consent-to-search program

Intended to reduce youth gun violence by targeting high risk youths and searching their homes for guns– Idea resulted from a police – community meeting

Parents gave consent for searches of their homes Guns seized but no prosecutions (trust)

– Collaborative rather than top-down; goal was to get guns out of kids’ hands, not necessarily arrests

Evidence Evidence St. Louis consent-to-search programSt. Louis consent-to-search program

Early success of the program has been attributed to the degree of collaboration

– Citizens identified homes to search (trust)– Officers were assigned to geographic area and used a

non-confrontational approach– Community support for the program– 98 % consented; 510 guns seized in 18 mos.; average of

3 guns seized per house

Evidence Evidence St. Louis consent-to-search programSt. Louis consent-to-search program

Second phase of the program focused on using search warrants and making arrests; little collaboration; few consent searches– Fewer guns seized (6% of the total seized during Phase

I) and less community support National Research Council (2005, p.236): the

program placed a “premium on effective communication and trust with the community not found in most problem-oriented policing projects.”

Evidence Evidence Crisis Intervention TeamCrisis Intervention Team

Police responses to persons with a mental illness (PwMI) – Innovative approach is CIT (Memphis, TN PD)– Goal is to link PwMI in crisis with the most

appropriate services and avoid arrest when not necessary

– Two primary components

Evidence Evidence Crisis Intervention TeamCrisis Intervention Team

Recent attempt to implement CIT in Lafayette, IN Led by the efforts of local advocates – NAMI –

WCI Strong degree of cooperation from 5 police

agencies that serve the greater Lafayette community

Working relationship between police agencies and local mental health service providers was poor

Difficult for officers to link PwMI with MHSP Officers reported poor working relationships with MHSP

Evidence Evidence Crisis Intervention TeamCrisis Intervention Team

Working group to build consensus for changing current responses to PwMI

– Representatives from key local agencies and stakeholders

– Relationships with MHSP never materialized / improved

Evidence Evidence Crisis Intervention TeamCrisis Intervention Team

Results– CIT training– Evidence of positive outcomes from the training– Response options for police officers remain unchanged

Some of the most important barriers to more effective responses to PwMI remain

– Without collaboration with key agencies the reform will not realize its full potential

Evidence Evidence Community PolicingCommunity Policing

Police collaborations with a host of different “communities” and social service agencies is a central dimension of community policing

– Effective responses to complex problems requires more than just the police

– Positive relationships are inherently valuable

Evidence Evidence Community PolicingCommunity Policing

Distinction between community involvement and community collaboration

– “Involvement” is superficial

– Collaboration represents power sharing Decision making is a shared process

– Multiple actors / groups shape the efforts, not just the police– Problems to address– Responses– Acknowledging different agendas

Evidence Evidence Community PolicingCommunity Policing

What are community policing agencies doing?– Partnership building tactics have grown

Community meetings and surveys; joint crime prevention; citizen action / advisory boards (Roth et al., 2000)

– Engaging residents, advocates, businesses, and government agencies

– Purposes include problem solving and improved communications

Multiple actors / groups engage in problem solving activities In many cases the forms of communication are limited to one-

way approaches (citizen police academies) Some reluctance to share power and allow for meaningful

community input (Roth et al., 2000)

ConclusionsConclusions Like businesses, police agencies recognize the

value created by a flatter world where greater collaboration is possible

Evidence suggests that police have the opportunities to collaborate in successful ways– A commitment to true collaboration, not mere

involvement, is required– Trust and sharing seem to be critical dimensions– Can be assisted with two-way, symmetrical forms of

communication (true public relations)