community policing, n.Definitions

Community policing is a philosophy, not a program.

Community policing is a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems.

Community policing is the idea that community members act as 'co-producers of public safety

Community policing is dependent upon an increase of foot patrols by police officers to show police presence on the streets and to enable the residents to approach the police officers with their concerns.

Community policing is grounded in the conceptualization that, contrary to the adversarial stance of past law enforcement agencies, its role is one one of customer service, whereby problems are solved collaboratively with all interested parties.

Community policing is grounded in the four-fould ideas of (i) community-based crime prevention; (ii) reorientation of patrol activities to emphasize non-emergency servicing; (iii) increased accountability to the public, and (iv) decentralisation of command

Community policing is defined by close ties fostered between the police force and the community. It stresses the cultivation of quality of life in the community as opposed to representing a single-minded concern over criminality.

Community policing is not only a technique but also a specific philosophy and mindset of how to approach underlying causes for social conflict, violence, and poverty, of how to treat and how to police the population in line with the principles of fundamental human rights.