A cop’s view: Are we really performing community policing?

by Scott Bushway

So, we’re pretty good at talking the talk. You know, saying those feel-good buzz words associated with community policing: “We are working closely with the community,” “We are a very proactive department with innovative ideas,” “Problem-solving and forming partnerships are our expertise” and so on. But are we really walking the walk?

We’ve come a long way since policing of the 1970s. Random patrol, rapid response and reactive investigations were not only the buzz words then, they were terms that accurately described how policing was conducted. Many patrol cars were even lettered with the words “Rapid Response” across the sides. Assignments at the start of each shift had more to do with the north-south-east-west geography of the community than with where crime was actually happening.

Our motto might as well have been: “We’re the police, and you’re not.” Ride around aimlessly, write an occasional ticket and stay out of trouble. (And, by the way, riding around aimlessly was done in a Ford LTD with no power windows, no air conditioning, no laptop computer and no AM/FM radio.) And it was not unusual to work months on the street before attending a police academy.

Couple the lack of direction and little training with the inefficient equipment and you had a recipe for disastrous policing.

Then, during the 1980s, the public began to question the accountability of their police officers. Society no longer tolerated mediocrity of the police and began to hold them to a higher standard. The demand to solve quality-of-life issues became the new challenge for police.

It was apparent that the public was less concerned with cars being stolen from the local mall as they were with being awakened by the trash collector at 3 a.m. and the continuous dog-barking next door.

The three “R’s” of policing in the 1970s were replaced with the three “P’s”: problem-solving, proactive investigations and directed patrol (placing resources where they are most needed). Police began to analyze data to predict where and when crime would occur. Efforts were adjusted to address these indicators, and results were measured and eventually shared with the public.

The police began to realize they could not do their jobs successfully without the support of the community. The “Joe Friday” persona — “Just the facts, ma’am” — would no longer be the satisfactory follow-up of investigators.

Crime victims care as much about the treatment they receive from the police as they do about the perpetrator being caught. Similarly, drivers remember the demeanor of the officer who stopped them for a traffic violation more than whether they were issued a ticket.

The public isn’t concerned about officers wearing their hats, or whether their shoes are spit-shined, or whether they are on time for work. They want their officers to be helpful and friendly.

So, in these difficult financial times, are police departments really able to embrace the community policing philosophy they would like? Most residents would believe they are, so long as they are able to call the police and get answers to their questions.

In my experience, it is not unusual for dispatchers to receive the following calls: “What time is the parade?”; “When will the power come back on?”; “Is there school today?”; “Is the ice safe for skating?”; “My toilet is overflowing”; “My street light is out”; and “What’s the score of the high school football game?” Answers to those questions and immediate response to 911 calls pretty much satisfy the expectations of most when it comes to the police.

Unfortunately, there are many components of community policing that are now suffering due to tight budgets and short staffing. The bicycle patrols, walking beats, youth officers and crime prevention units are often transcended into uniformed officers in cruisers. Citizen police academies are conducted once a year at best, and police sub-stations are, in many cities and towns, a thing of the past.

But whatever your perception of community policing, we continue to try to do the best we can with the resources we have. And that is something no one can criticize. {EXA}

Scott Bushway is the deputy chief of police in Walpole where he has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice and is an adjunct instructor at Massachusetts Bay Community College. He can be contacted at  

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