Nicole Taylor

Community Policing

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           There has been a shift in focus from community policing to homeland security since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Because of this, there has been a reduction in financial support for community policing efforts as the funding for homeland security as increased.  Research suggests that community policing funding decreased from $800 million in 2000 to $400 million in 2004 (Chappell and Gibson 2009).  This “is trouble because…the police-community relationship…is an important component in gathering intelligence and preventing future terrorist attacks” (Chappell & Gibson, 2009, p. 327). 

            There are certain tactics used by community policing that could be applied to homeland security, including targeting repeat offenders, task forces that cross jurisdictional lines, early warning systems, and utilizing surveillance in areas that are known to be high-risk.  Both community policing and homeland security strategies encourage partnerships between agencies and the importance of decreasing fear among members of the community.  There must also be a balance between aggressive tactics and community intervention and prevention in order for community policing to work (Chappell & Gibson, 2009). 

            Prevention should begin at the local level, and should reflect the national goal and standard for managing and responding to terrorist incidents or threats (Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS], 2017).  It is essential for local, state, and federal agencies to communicate with one another in regards to perceived threats, and to ensure that accurate flow of information is occurring.  One strength of community policing is the ability to promote trust and communication between members of the community and police agencies, as well as providing safety and stability in regards to community crime. 

The incidents at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and the mass shooting at the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Christmas party show the importance of using community policing to pay attention to “hot spots” in certain neighborhoods, and ensure that certain individuals are being monitored. There does need to be a line drawn between observing and monitoring suspicious individuals, and racially profiling certain people groups.  However, if someone has shown to be favorable to extremist groups, such as Omar Mateen, their investigations

should not necessarily be dismissed easily.  It is difficult to prevent terrorist attacks, but community policing can provide an initial evaluation for the federal government in regards to individuals who are suspected to be a part of a terrorist organization.  This initial evaluation and monitoring of certain homes or businesses can help provide the federal government with important information that can prevent a future terrorist attack. (416)

References

Chappell, A. & Gibson, S. (2009). Community policing and homeland security: Friend or foe? Criminal Justice Policy Review, 20(3), 326-343. doi: 10.1177/0887403409333038

Community Oriented Policing Services (2017). Homeland security through community policing. US Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2472

23 hours ago

Joshua Tulbert

Discussion Board 6

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            White recognizes that when people talk about homeland security they are not always talking about the same thing; to those talking about the federal government homeland security most likely means the Department of Homeland security, when talking about state governments one may be referencing the state’s National Guard or state police, and when talking about local governments one is most likely referring to local law enforcement agencies.[1]  Whichever agency one is referencing, homeland security means working to prevent attacks or working to recover from an attack.[2]  As it applies to community policing, homeland security would be referring to working at preventing terrorist attacks; “community policing [is] a newer form of policing that emphasizes community partnerships, problem solving, and crime prevention.”[3]  Chappell writes “focusing on community needs, solving recurring problems, preventing crime (rather than only responding to it), as well as ‘flattening’ the tall, bureaucratic structure that characterized the traditional police agency.”[4]  This means that a police officer acts more like a resource for the community than an enforcer, this creates problems when dealing with a tight-knit community that see themselves as persecuted against the government.[5]

            A publication by the Council on American-Islamic Relations states that many Muslims have been visited by federal agents based on unsubstantiated reports and Muslims are the victims of profiling and believe American law enforcement has a bias against Muslims.[6]  With these views it would not be easy for law enforcement to attempt to obtain information that would lead to arrests of Muslims possibly planning an attack.  A better solution may be to recruit more Muslims to become police officers but the Council on American-Islamic Relations recognizes that recruiting in this community is difficult because of the aforementioned issues.[7]  Looking back to week 6’s assignment we heard from Jasser in the Clarion Project that stated many Muslims are hesitant to report other Muslims with a staggering rate of one quarter of young Muslims feeling suicide bombings are sometimes justified.[8]  White recognizes “State and local law enforcement agencies need to collect tactical intelligence for the prevention of terrorism and other crimes” but these issues may make the mission too difficult for administrators and politicians to justify the expense of paying law enforcement officers to act as liaisons with an uncooperative community without a cultural shift within the Islamic community in the United States.[9]  At first glance community policing with the Islamic community sounds like it would successfully prevent attacks but the views within that community may prevent cooperation; we must also remember Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians, “do not be mismatched with unbelievers, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?  Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14, Holman Christian Standard Bible). (545 words)

[1] Jonathan White, Terrorism and Homeland Security (Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing, 2017), 303.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Allison Chappell, ” Community policing: is Field Training the Missing Link?” Policing 30, no. 3 (2007), https://search.proquest.com/docview/211227928?accountid=45675 (accessed June 25, 2017).

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Council on American-Islamic Relations, “Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community,” https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/law_enforcement_guide.pdf (accessed June 25, 2017).

[7] Council on American-Islamic Relations, “Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community,” https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/law_enforcement_guide.pdf (accessed June 25, 2017).

[8] Clarion Project. “The Third Jihad – Radical Islam’s Vision for America”. Filmed [2008]. YouTube video, 1:01:48. Posted [November 2012]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XUub1no1qw.

[9] White, Terrorism and Homeland Security, 376.

Bibliography

Chappell, Allison T. “Community Policing: Is Field Training the Missing Link?” Policing 30, no. 3 (2007): 498-517, https://search.proquest.com/docview/211227928?accountid=45675.

Clarion Project. “The Third Jihad – Radical Islam’s Vision for America”. Filmed [2008]. YouTube video, 1:01:48. Posted [November 2012]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XUub1no1qw.

Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community.” https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/law_enforcement_guide.pdf (accessed June 25, 2017).

White, Jonathan R. Terrorism and Homeland Security. 9th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing, 2017. ISBN: 9781305633773.

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