New Community Approach

Abstract

Communities wishing to come to grips with their crime problems need to adopt a fresh approach to their police agencies, just as urgently as police agencies need to utilize new approaches in relating to their communities. Gone would be the pretense of a politics-administration dichotomy. In its place would be a more open style of police policy-making and administration. The new form of police agency requires a genuine two-way policy interaction between the communities (represented by their elected officials) and the police institution—a new contract that will facilitate order enhancement. Both the politician and the professional must execute their policy leadership responsibilities if the advantages of the new form of police institution are to be realized. This chapter addresses this relationship from the viewpoint of the community; the next takes the vantage point of the agency.