Community Policing, Evolution of

Historical Context

To understand community policing, it is important to look at the historical context in which community policing developed. In their early work on community policing, George Kelling and Mark Moore (1988) distinguish between and summarize salient features of three eras of policing: the political era, the reform era, and the community policing/problem solving era.

The political era dates from the introduction of municipal police forces in the 1840s and continued until the early 1900s. Prior to this, many colonial cities had a night watch system, an outgrowth of the English pledge system. The political era was characterized by close ties between police and politics. Local police commanders had frequent contact and communication with political leaders and ward bosses. Police priorities were set in conjunction with these political figures. While it has been argued that the close relationship between police and local politicians increased police legitimacy and responsiveness to the community, it has also been argued that local politicians and ward bosses often acted in their own interest rather than the public interest and that this era of policing was characterized by corruption and discrimination against minorities.

The reform era took hold in the 1930s, reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, and began its decline in the 1970s. August Vollmer, a former police chief and first professor of police administration, was one of the first advocates of the reform era in the early 1900s. The reform era was characterized by a professional crime fighting approach, reliance upon routine patrol, quick response to calls for service, and criminal investigations. The reform era is said to be both a reaction to the corruption of the political era and in keeping with the growing trend toward scientific management. Policing is generally viewed as having become far more professional and police organizations far more sophisticated during this era.

The community policing/problem-solving era, which began in the late 1970s, developed over the past three decades and continues into the 21st century, albeit in a very different form from its origins. The community policing era is characterized by close working relationships between the police and the community, attention to quality of life and problem solving. Policing is generally viewed to have become far more attentive to community concerns during this period and police organizations became more decentralized.

Each era of policing is characterized by differences in public perception of the primary sources of police legitimacy and authority, view of the police function, organizational design, external relationships between the police and the community, demand management (how police are summoned and the police resources allocated), principal programs and technologies, and measures of success.

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