Community
Oriented Policing Mission
Community Oriented Policing (COP) is a policing philosophy
based on several key values and beliefs:
COP considers that the mission of the police is to
provide professional, disciplined policing services designed
to ensure the safety and security of our community.
COP embraces two key policing strategies:
COP balances the use of these two strategies through
careful continuous analysis of activity patterns that permit
differentiated police response to community needs.
COP requires the professional commitment and creative
involvement of every member of the police department, associated
public and private agencies and members of the community.
COP recognizes that, regardless of a person's socioeconomic
status, race, national origin, language, age or religion,
each person has a right to high quality police services.
COP also recognizes that crime and disorder are only
part of the many issues that police have to deal with in a
complex and dynamic city.
COP expects and desires to be appraised for its effectiveness
in serving the community according to measures that will provide
feedback for continuous improvement in policing services.
COP is a system by which all police services are provided
to the community including all the following fundamental police
functions:
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Responding to citizen calls for police assistance and
or service
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Enforcing the law
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Maintaining order in the community
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Providing emergency services
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Preventing crime
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Investigating criminal activity
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Arresting and interviewing offenders
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Collecting and analyzing evidence
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Assisting with the prosecution of offenders
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Testifying in court
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Incarcerating offenders and managing the jail
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Traffic management and services
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Organized crime intelligence gathering and investigation
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Vice control
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Investigating drug related crimes
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White collar crime
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Juvenile crime
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Crime prevention
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Dispute resolution
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Community education
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Providing information and referral
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Special event management
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Providing police service for special community circumstances
Effects
of Community Policing
Outcomes Envisioned from COP
As a consequence of fulfilling these fundamental policing
functions, in the context of the Community Oriented Policing
Philosophy, we envision and are committed to producing these
community outcomes:
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A safe and peaceful community with neighborhood pride
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Effective crime prevention and law enforcement
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Swift apprehension of offenders
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Safe flowing traffic
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No visible signs of disorder
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Effective relationships with the community and other
organizations
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A vital economic climate for business and a nurturing
community climate for residents
Police Professionalism and Discipline
The philosophy of Community Oriented Policing is rooted
in credibility between police and the community.
To maintain this high quality relationship, all cases of police
response to community needs, whether reactive or proactive,
must meet the highest standards of discipline and professionalism.
All police personnel must be carefully selected and fully
trained to provide the competent services for which they are
responsible.
In a highly professional department, the limits of officer
discretion for handling events can have wide latitude.
It requires the thoughtful self-discipline of every individual
in the department.
However, to maintain that latitude and continue to enjoy the
respect and cooperation of our community, each of us must
personally share the burden of accountability to the rest
of us for maintaining the highest standards of professional
behavior or else all of us will suffer the consequences of
low community confidence in the police.
It is regarded as among the most important functions of police
leadership to establish and embody such high professional
standards of behavior and to assure, without exception, that
every individual in the Department does the same.
Nothing less than the trust of our community and our colleagues
is at stake in this regard.
Without this trust, effective Community Oriented Policing
is not possible.
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