Angels in Marble: Problems in Stimulating Community Involvement in Community Policing

• NCJ Number: 150665
• Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (July 1994) Pages: 437-468
• Author(s): R M Grinc
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 32 pages
• Grant Number(s): 91-DD-CX-0012
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program Description (Demonstrative)

Annotation

In 1990, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded grants to eight urban and suburban police departments to establish innovative, community policing/drug demand reduction projects.

Abstract

Jurisdictions receiving BJA grants were located in California, Texas, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, Oregon, Maryland, and Arizona. The jurisdictions developed diverse community policing initiatives, but shared certain common features: heavy street enforcement activity, focus on drug demand reduction in targeted communities, and creation of partnerships with community groups and public and private agencies. Projects varied in design and implementation but encountered the same implementation problems. The most perplexing problem was the police department's inability to organize and maintain active community involvement in projects. Despite the apparent popularity of the community policing approach, the author concludes that community residents may not want closer interaction with the police or the responsibility for maintaining social control. 34 references and 8 notes