Community Policing: What It Is Not

To inform the continued discussion and debate about what community policing is, one should begin by deducing what community policing is not. This is not an easy task, as most articles, books, and monograms discuss community policing in the context of other concepts, tools, approaches, and perspectives, which can prove to be confusing rather than provide clarity. To better define the parameters of community policing, the following discussion analyzes from a variety of perspectives what community policing is not: It is not problem-oriented policing; it is not a monolithic program; it is not line-officer-based management of the department; it is not about the [Page 62]number of partnerships a department has; it is not a softer version of policing; it is not public control over the ...