Community Policing Exchange, July/August 1995. Theme: Problem Solving Article One Engaging the Community in Problem Solving: A New Synergism By Deputy Chief Ronald W. Glensor Reno, Nev. Today's police cannot address crime problems alone; they simply cannot singlehandedly contain the burgeoning crime, drugs, and gang problems that now beset our society and drain our federal, state, and local resources. Traditional reactive incident-driven methods have resulted in the police ricocheting like pinball from call to call - often involving the same suspect, location, victim, or crime. Under these conventional practices, the police have neither the knowledge or ability to establish patterns or similarities between incidents - leaving them with little more than short-term results. Under the rubric of community policing, the complimentary components of community engagement and problem solving are guiding police toward a new understanding of their role. The police now better realize that their effectiveness relies upon and draws from the expertise and assistance of myriad government agencies and community resources, and that problem solving requires that officers deal with the underlying causes of crime and disorder rather than repeatedly addressing only their symptoms. Beyond the Rhetoric of Engagement Community engagement entails much more than the rhetoric and nostalgic lure of rehashed police community relations. It is not simply intoxicating colloquialisms and fancy labels. Meaningful engagement requires that officers share their power and the proprietary interest in handling neighborhood problems. For some agencies, this is a radical departure from traditional thinking and has resulted in reluctance and outright resistance by some officers. One principal reason for this resistance is the fact that for the past half century the philosophy and training of the police inculcated the view that they alone were responsible for addressing crime problems. In order to reduce resistance and improve officers' skills for confronting today's problems, training is minimally required in interpersonal communication, cultural diversity, resource identification, and community mobilization. For police administrators, gathering community input should be an ongoing process rather than being limited to times of crisis. Agencies can acquire valuable information through a variety of means, including neighborhood meetings and citizen surveys. Engagement also requires that neighborhoods get involved and that residents understand and accept their role in problem solving and share the burden of crime control. SARA: A Guide to Problem Solving We would do well to have officers thinking more like street-level criminologists. To move beyond merely handling incidents independently, the police must take a more in-depth interest in problems by acquainting themselves with some of the underlying conditions and factors that cause them. As James Fyfe asks, "Can anyone imagine the surgeon general urging doctors to attack AIDS (symptom) without giving any thought to its causes?" Fortunately a model exists for helping street officers to attack and solve crime problems. The SARA (for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment) model of problem solving helps officers identify the various underlying factors that cause crime and disorder. SARA provides a logical four-step process that stresses in-depth analysis, creative alternative responses, and critical evaluation of problem-solving efforts. The model also teaches officers how to solve problems and prevent crime as well as fighting it. Problem-Solving Partnerships at Work Hundreds of case studies exist about police and sheriffs' departments that have worked in partnership with their communities, reducing crime and the fear it generates and taking responsibility for restoring neighborhood safety. By engaging the community in problem solving, new successes are being discovered for many substantive and recurring problems, including those of the homeless and youth gangs. Homeless People: There are no simple solutions to the many issues surrounding homelessness. The solutions extend beyond simply providing food or shelter; there is a difference between "houselessness" and homelessness. For example, research shows that substance abuse and mental illness is prevalent among the homeless. These problems require the intervention of highly skilled professionals. In Santa Barbara, Calif., a Homeless Evaluation Liaison Program (HELP) links the police department with outside agencies and resources to address the needs of the homeless. HELP provides the homeless with job training, relocation, shelter, and food. In other jurisdictions, volunteer residents and students help locate and place the homeless with the appropriate social service agencies. Youth Gangs: In Reno, Nev., a Gang Alternatives Program (GAP) was developed to set countywide policy and share resources and information concerning gang violence. Consisting of representatives from law enforcement, the district attorney's office, juvenile probation, the school district, private agencies and citizens, GAP seeks to balance enforcement with diversion and intervention. Job skills, training and education have been provided to a number of at-risk youth. GAP has helped to enact a city ordinance that requires the removal of graffiti from public or private property within 48 hours. A 24-hour hotline allows citizens to report the location of graffiti. The program is funded by private donations and the graffiti is removed by volunteers. Chicago and Los Angeles utilize a Crisis Intervention Services Project (CRISP). This program puts together teams of people with roots in neighborhoods where problems exist to work closely with the police to resolve youth gang problems. New Vistas Appear Of the array of problems that police are called upon to handle, relatively few require solely a "law enforcement" response. Community policing provides law enforcement an opportunity to form new partnerships and carries with it the potential for long-term solutions to persistent problems. As police expert Herman Goldstein observed, once police stop looking only at the criminal justice system for solutions, "large vistas are opened for exploration," and the police can engage in a "far-reaching and imaginative search for alternative ways in which to respond to commonly recurring problems, uncurtailed by prior thinking." For more information, contact Deputy Chief Ronald W. Glensor, Nevada Highway Patrol, DMV and Public Safety, 555 Wright Way, Person City, NV 89711. Phone: (702) 334-3860. Fax: (702) 687- 5310. Article Two-Community Profile Community Policing: No Small Potatoes in Caldwell, Idaho Corporal Jim Watson, a long-time law enforcement officer with the Caldwell Police Department, shares his story of how a small, rural town adopted community policing in a big way. The city of Caldwell is a rural, farming area in Southwest Idaho and has a permanent population of about 23,000. But the city sees an increase of up to 10,000 residents each harvest season as workers come in to assist with crops. Although a small town, this mainly agricultural area is not exempt from crime. In fact, problems here in Caldwell are very similar to those experienced in larger cities--drug trafficking, fencing activities and gang-related incidents. Perhaps the biggest difference in addressing these crime issues is where a large city might carve out densely populated districts, three or four blocks in size, our districts are as big as 50 to 75 blocks but with a lot less people in them. Caldwell, like many other small towns with limited resources, has had to develop new ways to cope with the ever increasing cost of crime--and most of these ways center around community policing. The department adopted a philosophy of shared responsibility and connection between law enforcement and citizens in order to make our city a better place to live. Consequently, all of our line officers were in essence, made "mini-police chiefs" and were given the freedom and authorization to make proactive decisions within their assigned districts. Other goals were realized through the implementation of a number of high quality community policing programs--ones that officers here are proud to be a part of. We are well aware though, that a new mindset and increased community-police programs would be nothing without the support of our citizens. Although Caldwell didn't officially start community policing until October 1992, in reality, we were already operating under this philosophy through our "Cops in the Schools" program. So the foundation was already there when the decision was made to implement community policing department-wide. "We've been fortunate," remarks Lt. Allan Laird, "good recruitment and hiring from local law enforcement college programs has given us a head start. The graduates from these programs already know about community policing and support it. From a hiring standpoint, it's great for us because in most cases, this is their first job and there are no conventional policing habits to change." Once hired, officers, while not required, are strongly encouraged to live in Caldwell city limits. And most of the officers do--making them that much more tied to the concept of community policing. The department's goal is to make Caldwell a better place to live, not just for citizens, but for us too. Detective Corporal Matt Murphy is one example of an officer who lives in the same district that he is assigned to work in. "After meeting with my district residents and getting to know them, I found that I could deal with them as neighbors, even while in uniform." Murphy comments that being a COP officer has made him more comfortable in dealing with people in general, "before, I was hesitant when talking with people, because I felt as a police officer I had to be perfect." Caldwell's police department is a young one. In fact, Chief Doug Law, at age 39, is one of the older members of the department. Chief Law believes that to some degree, "Caldwell's success in community policing is due to the youthfulness of our officers--not necessarily in age but in experience. It's sometimes easier to change to proactive policing if there is not a long history of reactive policing to overcome." Law goes on to say that, "Our greatest single achievement since converting to community policing is that our department now functions as a team, and problem solving involves everyone--now it's just a natural part of the job." We have shown that in Caldwell, by living the community policing concept, and by encouraging community involvement, we are effectively dealing with crime. Even with an increase in population in the last few years, the quality of life here in Caldwell continues to improve. Statistically, we have seen this confirmed by a continual decrease in our Crime Index figures over the last three-years running. By Corporal Jim Watson For more information, contact Corporal Jim Watson, Caldwell Police Department, 605 Main St., Caldwell, ID 83605. Phone: (208) 455-3122. Fax: (208) 455-3018. Caldwell's Youth Accountability Board is sustained through the efforts of community volunteers. The board serves as a surrogate for the court in dealing with first time juvenile offenders involved in misdemeanor crimes. Youth Accountability Board Nick is a typical 15-year-old high school male who had never before been in trouble with the law. On Halloween night, he and two other friends decided it would be fun to shoot BB guns at other high school trick-or-treaters. Nick was caught by patrol officers, arrested and brought to the police station. Not a good night for Nick and his friends. The juvenile detective referred him to the Youth Accountability Board (YAB). As COP coordinator and chairman of the YAB, I got the case. I arranged a date for Nick and his parents to meet with the board. The YAB is Caldwell Police Department's diversion board; our effort to lessen the load of the bogged down juvenile court system. The board meets weekly and consists of myself, and five residents from the community; a seed company employee, a retired government worker, a secretary, and a realtor. These citizens volunteer their time and effort to meet with kids who have been arrested for first-time offenses. The types of cases vary from incidents such as burglary and fraud to curfew violations. The main point made to these juvenile offenders is that in Caldwell, we are going to hold you, the juvenile, accountable for your actions, and the punishment doled out is how you are going to pay the community back for making a bad choice. In Nick's case the board first met and talked with his parents. Part of the board's mission is to reinforce, by way of punishment, those things that the parents have already taught their children-- responsibility and morality. The next step was for the board to meet with Nick. This young man explained to the board that he and his friends never had any intention of actually hitting anyone with the BB's. They said they were only shooting at the high school kids because they felt those children were too old to be trick-or-treating. Fortunately, no one was injured. The members of the board decided that Nick's punishment would be 16 hours of community service plus a two-page paper on, "What My Life Would be Like if I was Injured by a BB Gun." Nick completed his community service, and his report. The board accepted the report. Nick was almost done with the YAB, except for one last bit of advice. Nick was informed that this was his only chance; if he broke the law again, he would be sent to court and the incident would be treated as a second offense. Nick's case is representative of the average type of juvenile offense brought before the board. To date, after having reviewed 68 cases, only 5 have gone on to be serious repeat offenders. The people serving on the Youth Accountability Board definitely feel as if they are helping to improve the quality of life in the city of Caldwell--and they're right. Article Three-Giving Voice Officers from Rural, Suburban and Urban Jurisdictions Share Views Interview: Officer James W. Calhoun Atlanta Police Department Population 500,000 Law Enforcement Experience: 8 Years Q1. How integral are sergeants in your department to the implementation of community policing? A1. [Big laugh.] How important are they?--very important. Let's put it this way, if your supervisor doesn't support what you're doing out here then the program doesn't work. In my zone, I'm fortunate--I'm expected to go out and meet people and do community policing, but that's a direct reflection of my supervisor. In other zones, that's not the case. There are supervisors in our department who think that the most important thing is arresting criminals and putting them in jail. Getting involved with citizens and doing drop-ins is very secondary in their view. Also, my supervisor gives me a lot of leeway in decision making. As a beat officer I've got certain rules to abide by and as long as I'm doing the right thing then there's no problem. But if I run into something that looks kinda iffy, my supervisor is there and is completely open to me calling him at any time. Basically, my supervisor is there to back me up and support me. Q2. How do you know if community policing is effective in your jurisdiction? A2. One example is this cocaine dealer that we had arrested 18 times since 1991. I could get this guy arrested but then he'd get a good lawyer and be right back out on the street. One day when I was doing a drop-in, the business owner I was talking to asked me why this guy kept getting off the hook. Well, after giving him all the details about how the dealer would use a different alias every time he'd go to court but no one knew it because no one was following up on this guy, this citizen decided that he'd get personally involved. So he enlisted the help of a couple of community leaders and they went down to the D.A.'s office and said 'here's the problem, now what are you going to do about it.' They made this D.A. accountable for this case. See, citizens and community leaders can step on toes and get results, but if an officer did that, it would be career damaging. The end result was the D.A. personally prosecuted this case and the dealer is now spending the next 17 years in jail. But, this never would have happened if we weren't able to be out here and get to know and work with citizens. Interview: Officer Vernon Pare Easthampton Police Department Population 16,000 Law Enforcement Experience: 20 Years Q1. How integral are sergeants in your department to the implementation of community policing? A1. Sergeants in my department, as is true in most, are more administrative. However, our sergeants do come on the road with us, and they do understand the philosophy of community policing. At first, some of our sergeants were resistant to community policing--they thought it was just a fad and would die out within a year. Some thought that this wasn't "real" police work. Now our sergeants are in full support of community officers. A couple of the things I really like about being in this position is that I have a lot more leeway in how to handle my area and also a lot more freedom in what decisions to make. Also, my hours have been made more flexible so that I'm better able to service my citizens; the sergeants have no problem with any of this. Q2. How do you know if community policing is effective in your jurisdiction? A2. The amount of support our department now gets from citizens in our three community policing areas tells me it is. Calls received from citizens have doubled, as have the number of our arrests. Citizens are no longer afraid to come out of their homes at night and walk through their neighborhoods. I have 613 homes and 1,700 people in my area. Since we started our community policing program last June, there have been no home invasions and only one car broken into. I believe these stats prove that the program is working. The people in my area are so accustomed to having me around that if I even take a day off, they want to know where I've been. The citizens are extremely happy to have their "own" police officers. We're also seeing the department finally get the support it deserves when override questions appear on election ballots. Because citizens now have a positive attitude about us, the department is able to hire more officers. Interview: Deputy Lissah Norcross Mesa County Sheriff's Department Unincorporated Population 60,000 (3,300 Square Miles) Law Enforcement Experience: 8 Years Q1. How integral are sergeants in your department to the implementation of community policing? A1. In the beginning, they were very much left out. When we first started community policing, we had three line officers answering directly to a captain--the sergeants were just left out of the loop. Needless to say, it was easy for me to see they had a real negative attitude about community policing. I could see it because they were not willing to listen or be open minded about new ideas. The department recognized that had to change and now the sergeants are a positive, integral part of the process. The department provided them with some training by outside supervisors who could directly relate to what they were thinking. At this point, we still have some that are bean-counters, not facilitators. And even for the ones that are facilitators, problem-solving strategies are not necessarily the first ideas that pop into their minds. But I can see a change in how they're thinking and believe they now feel like they're a part of what's going on. For sergeants here now, most of their problem-solving experiences have been internally related. Applying these principles internally has allowed them to see that yeah, this does work and it gives them the ability to positively change things. That experience just needs to be expanded to external issues. Where most of our sergeants are lacking is that they don't have a lot of problem-oriented policing knowledge about how to handle problems out in the community in the same way they've learned to internally. They haven't had the training I was lucky enough to get, therefore, they can't call on those experiences to apply to situations. Ideally, we should be able to go to our supervisors and ask for community-policing based suggestions. They aren't there yet, but they're getting there. Q2. How do you know if community policing is effective in your jurisdiction? A2. I know it's effective by all of the small, but significant changes that I've seen in my target area over the last year and a half. My first target area was a very high rental area with little to no investment from the residents. My first assignment there was for 40 hours a week for 9 months. I worked very closely with property managers and other citizens. One of the initial problems in the area was several groups of obnoxious kids who caused some major problems in the neighborhood. Residents were very afraid of them. These groups would break into houses and cars, beat up other kids and so on. So, I helped these residents get a Neighborhood Watch going. Now, they do their own patrolling and with absolutely no direction from me, and they don't step over the line either. How do I know community policing is working? When one of these same 14-year-old kids tells me that 'Nothing ever happens in this neighborhood anymore--it's boring and it's no fun to come here 'cause someone's always watching us,' that's when I know it's working. Now when there's a problem, people in the area call me with information. This helps me to solve more cases. The calls also help me to intervene more often before the problem has a chance to explode. Another thing I realized was that if you're going to change kids' attitudes towards cops, you've got to do it early. I spent a year going to one elementary school. I'd go to different classes and read books, do math problems, basically I'd do anything whether it was police related or not. This let the kids see that I was a real person, just like them. So now when I drive down their streets, they wave at me with all five fingers, not just one. They talk to me when I'm in their neighborhood. It's these little things that show me community policing works. We also have a citizens academy that is extremely popular. We always have twice as many citizens trying to get into the program as there is space. It shows me that when you share your information openly, people understand and want to get involved. Hey, if community policing is a bad idea like some say it is, then why are so many people, both citizens and employees, so anxious to be a part of it? Interview: Officer Allen Wolf Wichita Police Department Population 300,000 Law Enforcement Experience: 14 Years Q1. How integral are sergeants in your department to the implementation of community policing? A1. In Wichita, our first line supervisors are lieutenants, and I think they play a vital role in the community policing concept. They're the ones who allow front-line officers the time and opportunity to make decisions on their own and to problem solve. It was tough at first, deciding who should be able to talk to the media. Naturally, there was some concern about giving officers the freedom to speak publicly about issues involving our neighborhood. Because basically, when we talk to the media, we represent not only our department, but our city and state as well. Obviously, you need to have supervisors who have enough confidence in their line officers to allow them this kind of responsibility. Supervisors these days aren't just disseminating tasks and seeing that they're done in a certain way and by a certain time. Now, they have to motivate us [line officers] as we go out and attack problems in the community. Q2. How do you know if community policing is effective in your jurisdiction? A2. That would vary from target area to target area. My area has had a major problem with prostitution and drug activity. Since we've been doing community policing, we have seen a noticeable decrease in foot traffic. We developed a strategic plan to deal with this foot traffic, and it's working. One of our supervisors went to a training seminar in San Diego and brought back some ideas about a plan that had been used in St. Petersburg, Florida. We decided that we would modify their plan for our purposes. From the very beginning, we went to the community and made sure that they were included in the process. After the plan was developed, we took it to the city council and they approved what we recommended. We also publicized the plan through the media--like putting up billboards in our area letting the ''Johns" know that our neighborhood people are watching them and noting their tag numbers. We also work hand-in-hand with city code inspectors and the county health department to monitor the activity of the low budget motels that are frequented. There's definitely a sense with our neighborhood people that the plan is working. We don't get nearly as many complaints about prostitution activity. That's not to say that it's totally gone, because this problem is one that has been entrenched in this particular area of Wichita for decades. But, there's a general sense among citizens that things are better, cleaner and that the police department is addressing their concerns. Article Four SARA Gets a Facelift Students at a North Carolina high school learn how to problem solve using an updated version of the popular SARA model used by many law enforcement agencies. Charlotte, N.C. Problem solving is no longer limited to just algebra and calculus equations for the junior class at West Mecklenberg High School in Charlotte, N.C. Through a grant funded by the National Institute of Justice, and administered by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in cooperation with the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, West Meck students are the first to test the efficacy of a new and expanded version of SARA. In this year-long project, juniors are using the augmented model to identify and address problems existing within the borders of their school. Outside of the school yard, this innovative version of SARA, which is considered to reflect a purer translation of the concept of community policing, places more emphasis on enabling citizens to solve their own problems. This objective is accomplished on a personal level through police- citizen mentoring, but the model also relies strongly on a new, more descriptive format to provide additional guidance. In addition to the original four stages which serve as a basic frame, contained within each are easy-to-follow steps that promote a more thorough process. Initial results indicate that for the students at West Meck, the new model has not only contributed to feelings of empowerment, but has also, researchers believe, laid the foundation for long-term problem-solving skills. In the West Meck project, teachers have assumed a role comparable to that of the middle- managers in law enforcement agencies. And not unlike community policing supervisors, their primary role is to present initial information and to guide the process along. Much like sergeants or lieutenants might mentor line-officers, the teacher are there to act as problem-solving managers and to function as a safety net for the students as they resolve problems. Hal Brown, an 11th grade teacher participating in the project, shared his observation that "kids in the program have come to understand their abilities in solving problems and making their school a safer and better place to be." He adds that "what they have learned here will carry through into their adult lives and will help them to see how they can influence their community and government." Roles specific to students, on the other hand, incorporate both the positions of line officers and community members. Their association with teachers while important, is limited, so as to promote a sense of self-sufficiency. As is true in life in and outside of high school, the fact that things are often not what they seem, was an important lesson in this experiment. For instance, in some cases where students applied SARA to a situation, they discovered that what seemed to be a problem was not, in fact, a problem. A faculty member commented that this was an excellent lesson for the students to learn. The process has taught them that when you break a problem down and understand that it is being handled in the best possible way, you come to feel more comfortable with its existence. How does this experiment transcend high school boundaries and cross over to what is referred to as the "real world"? West Meck's Coach Haywood Holmsley says "For one thing, many students who felt that they couldn't ever be involved or make a difference, by virtue of this program, have seen that they are an intricate part of the system." This he says, "translates back to the community." The success of this project was perhaps best exemplified through an incident regarding the junior-senior prom held in April. In an event completely unrelated to their problem-solving curriculum, students internalized the SARA process and used the model to negotiate a satisfactory outcome to their petition over an unexcused absence received on prom day. Researchers were elated that, when confronted with a dilemma, the junior-level students resorted back to the process to find resolution. The university's project ended at West Meck High in May, but the future for implementation of this new model is just beginning. Presently underway are plans to customize the experimental concept more precisely to police-community settings. The model, to be pilot tested later this year, will incorporate the positions of officers serving as mentors for citizens groups, and will also accommodate the internal need of departments to have supervisors mentor line officers. Not unlike the synergistic teacher-student relationship, the partnership between police and community holds much promise. As is true in performing any job effectively, and in a way that will produce the greatest results, one must first be supplied with the proper equipment. The new SARA, while only one tool in the problem-solving tool box, is proving itself to be a device with a promising future. For information on how to implement problem-solving curricula in your school system, call Captain H.C. Huneycutt, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, Charlotte, NC, (704) 336-2771. Article Five Students Poll Police on Attitudes Towards Adolescents & Community Policing Syracuse, N.Y. When citizens in Central New York hear the phrase "New Vision," they know it's more than just political rhetoric. In fact, for 27 high school seniors, New Vision is a way of preparing for the future their future. The New Vision Model is a revolutionary approach to secondary education and is available to students from seven local districts. The program immerses students interested in pursuing criminal justice and legal careers into the world of law enforcement. The classroom is moved out of the high school setting and into the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department where students spend the majority of each school day. In this environment students are able to interact with and learn from the professionals in their field of study. For their 1995 class project, the New Vision seniors polled 14 Central New York (CNY) law enforcement agencies. The survey, designed, administered and analyzed by the seniors queried officers on their attitudes toward young people and their feelings on community policing. Among the questions presented to officers in the survey were ones regarding fairness of treatment and perceptions, improving existing relationships with adolescents, and implementing community policing and problem resolution. OVERVIEW OF SURVEY FINDINGS Fairness of Treatment and Perceptions When asked if adolescents are treated unfairly by the police, results showed that the vast majority of officers believed that indeed, young adults are sometimes unfairly criticized. The seniors also learned that the two characteristics of young people attracting the most attention from police are attitude and appearance. Improving Existing Relationships with Adolescents Historically, one of the greatest obstacles between law enforcement and teenagers has been the lack of communication and more important, the lack of appropriate forums where communication can take place. Students found that from a police perspective, the three most significant problems between law enforcement and young adults from a police perspective are: 1) teens have a poor attitude when dealing with police; 2) teens do not understand the law enforcement role and its many challenges; and 3) teens have a lack of respect for law enforcement officials. Central New York officers offered a number of solutions to improving relationships with adolescents including developing a youth police academy, using ride-along programs to show young adults firsthand what officers do everyday, and providing forums to enhance police-youth communications. Desire by Central New York Police to Implement Community Policing Seventy-eight percent of all survey respondents were in favor of community policing, maintaining that it is both practical and desirable. Results also showed that police in Central New York are both eager to develop the community policing model and want to establish more meaningful relationships with young adults. Other findings are based on issues concerning police views on the primary causes of teen delinquency, frequency of drug and alcohol abuse as a role in dealing with young adults and problem resolution. If you would like to learn more about New Vision contact Charlie Wilson, Learning Coordinator, New Vision Criminal Justice Program, OCM/BOCES, 310 Lakeside Road, Syracuse, NY 13209, (315) 435-3025. To obtain a complete report on the findings from this survey call (315) 487-5203. Article Six A Supervisory Perspective of Community Policing Fullerton, Calif. The Situation Much has been written, and many studies made, about the proper way to implement community policing. Police managers have enough material at their disposal now that they can virtually follow a cookbook approach to implementation. Where information is lacking, however, and where many supervisors are finding problems, is in how they are supposed to turn the concepts and visions of upper management into the nuts and bolts reality of police work. As the primary communication link between the line and upper management, and as those directly responsible for line-level activities, sergeants find themselves trying to translate the intentions of staff into reality. This is not easy--either to decipher management's intentions, or to translate them into reality. If these intentions do get translated, however, the sergeant's job just gets harder. Police work is unique. The officers are pretty much their own bosses in the field, with very little direct supervision. Getting the officers truly involved in a community-oriented approach to police work, rather than just lip service, will take incredible luck and skill, even though it has been generally presumed that employees want involvement and empowerment in their jobs. The Dilemma The problem is, not everyone wants involvement and empowerment. Because with involvement and empowerment comes risk and responsibility. In implementing community policing, front-line supervisors have the additional responsibility of evaluating individual needs, goals, abilities and motivation levels, then delegating responsibility and authority accordingly. So, does the sergeant shove the new philosophy down the officers' throats, or does he or she control individual involvement which would be in the best interests of the agency and the individual officers? Additionally, are most sergeants properly prepared to make those kinds of judgements? One of the concepts of both community policing and participative management is the trust that is placed in subordinates to get the job done. This assumes, however, that the subordinate is capable of getting the job done. An agency which forces officers to do work beyond their capabilities is doing a disservice to the department, the individual officers, and most importantly, the community. So the sergeant finds himself in a dilemma. The sergeant must decide if the development of subordinates, (who may or may not want that kind of development) is more important than department goals and service to the community. Lack of Power While it is evident that sergeants need a certain amount of autonomy, it comes at a time when they are losing power. The community policing approach advocates taking decision making and responsibilities to the lowest level possible. With this, supervisors and mid-managers are finding themselves in the role of being facilitators and coaches, rather than in the traditional role of being in charge. Some are comfortable in this position of shared power, while others have difficulty adjusting to a work environment which has traditionally required a high degree of control. This loss of control may have an adverse affect on the ability of sergeants to implement community policing. A Course of Action With community policing, officer's jobs are enriched, adding tasks which are above their normal level of responsibility. As sergeants lose power in one direction (control of subordinates) they must increase it in the other direction (higher management responsibility). By giving sergeants a higher degree of autonomy, they can exercise their discretion in determining the degree to which officers should be involved in decision making and higher responsibility. Sergeants need more than just their intuition to guide them when making these decisions. But how is this achieved? How are sergeants supposed to identify the individual potential, aptitudes and motivation levels of officers so that an appropriate level of responsibility is dispersed? The answer of course, is training. Police supervisors need considerable training so that they can identify human resources, and properly stimulate those that need stimulating. Upper management must consider that the sergeants, to some degree, are not unlike the line- officer. Not all are staunch supporters of community policing, especially with the perceived loss of power and influence. Formal, intensive training in the concepts of community policing has the potential of turning a skeptic into a proponent. Training in the behavioral sciences can provide a sergeant with the necessary tools needed to evaluate the individual differences of officers for appropriate levels of responsibility and power. Increased autonomy for sergeants can also have a positive effect on this critical link from concept to reality. By Sergeant Arthur D. Wiechmann For more information, contact Sergeant Arthur D. Wiechmann, Fullerton Police Department, 237 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, CA 92632. Phone: (714) 738-6715. Fax: (714) 733-1043. Article Seven Philadelphia Nun Mobilizes Community to Fight Drugs Philadelphia, Penn. On the tough streets of West Kensington/North Philadelphia, it is common for drug dealers to ply their trade with arrogance and impunity. Area residents are constantly victimized by the drug traffic and the accompanying criminal activity that occurs daily. Violence has become a way of life. Further, the quality of life suffers as the neighborhood decays due to abandoned buildings and vehicles, boarded-up houses, graffiti and just the pervasive squalor that destroys citizens' resolve to improve their environment. The answer to this dilemma seems simple enough--increase the number of police and social and city services to stop the decay, and motivate residents to participate in the revival of their neighborhood. Unfortunately, most of these items cost money and with decreasing municipal budgets, citizens are frequently forgotten and must fend for themselves. Decent people are overcome with a sense of futility and hopelessness with no end in sight. It would seem the most unexpected solution to problems of this magnitude would be a nun. No doubt Goliath chuckled when he saw David with his sling and assortment of rocks. Drug dealers also laughed when Sister Carol approached them on their corners and told them to leave. They had not counted on Sister's resolve to end their reign of terror and lawlessness. Now they know better. Sister Carol Keck has worked in the area of Norris Square since 1987, but her relationship with the community dates back to the early 1970s. As a teacher at St. Boniface Elementary School in Philadelphia, from 1970 through 1977, and its principal from 1977 through 1983, she witnessed first hand the changing conditions of the people and the neighborhood. With stops in Mississippi and Boston, she worked in the prison system and saw the end result of a life without guidance and understanding. After a three year sojourn as the principal of the Sacred Heart School in Tampa, Fla., she returned to the Philadelphia area to attempt a new approach to the old problems. Sister Carol saw the need to solve neighborhood problems with a multi-faceted attack. She did not wait for police or other city services to solve the problems. She infused a sense of pride in her neighbors--a contagious feeling of determination to become part of the solution and not, by acquiescence, part of the problem. When city agencies realized that ordinary people in the neighborhood had become involved, they felt obliged, almost compelled, to support these efforts and offer their services. In the West Kensington area, this was the beginning of community policing. In 1988, Sister Carol joined the 26th Police District Advisory Council, or PDAC. PDAC was a new idea whereby members of the police district, including educators, business leaders, religious and concerned citizens met at least once a month with the captain of their geographic district and exchanged information and ideas. Sister Carol sought to improve the relationship between the local police and area residents by bringing both parties together in more common and stress-free ways. She began collecting funds from PDAC members at holiday time and used the money to supply hot meals for officers who had to work and were unable to celebrate with their families. She played an integral part in the development of a police-community banquet with over 300 participants. Proceeds raised from the banquet are used for several projects, including new exercise equipment for the police gym, new telephones and fax machines for the district, and other items that make officers' jobs easier and more efficient to perform. Sister also improved the relationship between police and young people. She helped initiate the "adopt-a-school" program whereby the 26th District sponsored a number of special activities, including a spelling-bee, art and music contests, and a Christmas pageant. School children view officers differently at these events and the concept of police involvement in the community is understood and appreciated. She also insisted that PDAC honor exceptional deeds performed by district personnel and sponsor a plaque bearing the monthly winner of the "Officer-of-the-Month" award which proudly hangs inside the district for all to see. Through Sister Carol's leadership and determination, the 26th District PDAC continues to recognize the superior work of their officers and maintain a solid relationship between cops and community. Sister has developed a unique method of dealing with the drug dealers in her neighborhood. Using absolutely non-violent tactics, concerned citizens of all ages and ethnic backgrounds stand with Sister on the most treacherous drug corners. With quiet fortitude they thwart drug sales and frustrate drug dealers into finding other locations. By applying constant pressure to problem corners, Sister and her group of concerned neighbors, called United Neighbors Against Drugs (UNAD), keep drug dealers scurrying for cover as their anonymity is threatened and their sales plummet. On occasion, Sister has visited known drug locations, parked her car, and chastised drug dealers, users, prostitutes and anyone else who fails to obey the law and harms her community. She frequently has meetings with neighbors and explains how they can better protect themselves from criminals and teaches them how to inform police of criminal activities. But Sister's greatest community achievement is the "Weed and Seed" program. This program combines police and other critical city services and presents them to citizens in a unique forum. A large recreational vehicle, modified to function as an office on wheels, visits various locations throughout the district and provides information and action from numerous city departments. For instance, a resident might complain about drug dealers selling their poison in front of her house. Police are alerted, and if the lighting is poor or needs replacing, the streets department responds and brightens the area. Residents are encouraged to visit the "Weed and Seed" vehicle and voice not only their complaints but also any constructive advice to help the city better provide services to constituents. In essence, Sister Carol Keck is community policing in the 26th district. Her quiet demeanor, while originally miscalculated by drug dealers and other lawbreakers, belies a steel-like resolve to rid her neighborhood of thugs and permit the decent people to again be in control of their lives. She is absolutely dedicated to the concept of community policing and has been instrumental in its success in her neighborhood and throughout the city. The bond she has forged between police and her community has improved relations, increased city services, and has given the residents of her neighborhood something they have been lacking for a long time -- a say in what happens in their community. By Sergeant Mark Deegan For more information, contact Captain Art Durant, Philadelphia Police Department, 26th Police Division, 615 E. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125. Phone: (215) 423-0348. Article Eight Drug Nuisance Abatement: A Key Component of Community Policing Baltimore, Md. Properties that are involved in the drug trade can be an ongoing scourge for communities. Drug houses act as magnets for crime and make people afraid to venture outside their own homes. Drug nuisance cases can be a crucial complement to police actions to get rid of such properties. Consider the following scenarios: Police raid a single property four times in a year. Each time they make arrests but someone is always left behind, or is released from custody and returns to continue the drug trade uninterrupted. The police have expended considerable effort, but as far as the residents of that block are concerned, nothing has changed. Police observe a drug house and make repeated controlled buys at the property using confidential informants. However, when they raid the house, the stash has been moved to another property and no drugs are recovered. No criminal case would expose the identity of the confidential informant. A vacant house is used as a "shooting gallery" by drug addicts at all hours of the day and night. The neighbors are terrified by the constant parade of addicts, petty theft abounds, and the house is frequently the site of fires caused by addicts who are cooking their drugs. Police report to the house and clear everyone out occasionally, but cannot remain in place to keep the same property from being used again. In each of these situations, police with the best of intentions are hard-pressed to solve the ongoing problems posed by these properties. Civil remedies, like drug nuisance lawsuits, can provide a crucial tool in such situations. Many states have some version of a Drug Nuisance Law. The discussion below highlights Maryland's Drug Nuisance Abatement Law (found in Real Property Code 14-120). The Maryland Drug Nuisance Law states that any property used for drug activity is a per se nuisance. Drug activity is broadly defined to include dealing, storing, manufacturing or administering illegal drugs. The statute authorizes community associations, State Attorneys' Offices and county attorneys to bring civil suits in District Court (Maryland's version of the People's Court). The statute further specifies an expedited court scheduling of such cases. Typically, cases are scheduled for trial not more than 30 days after the case is filed. In a civil case, the plaintiff must show that it is more likely than not (preponderance of evidence) that the property is being used for drug activity. This can be accomplished by a combination of police testimony and community testimony. While community testimony is always helpful, community residents are sometimes afraid to testify publicly. Typically, if the police have executed a search warrant on a property, no community testimony is necessary to make the case. The statute specifically authorizes the court to order a tenant who had knowledge of the drug activity to vacate the premises within 72 hours of the trial. In addition, the statute allows plaintiffs to ask for a broad range of equitable relief so that the remedy can be tailored to the actual details of the problem. In Baltimore City, community associations, police, the non-profit Community Law Center and the State Attorney's Office have been using the statute aggressively to target properties which are the source of drug activity. Some of the remedies which have been obtained to deal with the problems listed above have been: the absentee owner of a property which had been the subject of multiple police raids was ordered to evict existing tenants and put into place a rigorous tenant screening process requiring all prospective tenants to undergo a criminal records check and a meeting with the local community association. The tenants of a crack house were evicted based on police testimony about a single controlled purchase, even though no drugs were recovered when the house was raided. A vacant "shooting gallery" was placed in receivership after the owner refused to maintain the building. A local non-profit organization was appointed receiver and given control of the building to maintain it safely. After the building was found to be a safety hazard, it was torn down and the community association erected a flower garden on the site. To be most effective, drug nuisance cases should connect with ongoing community efforts. In most cases, an effective, long-term remedy will require the attention and cooperation of the local block or community association. Monitoring a court order will require up to the minute information that community residents usually possess. In addition, the drug nuisance cases should focus on the true source of the problem. For example, many problem properties have been drug houses on and off again over many years. The problem in these cases is often not just drug-dealing tenants but also incompetent or corrupt management by absentee landlords. A simple eviction may only solve the problem for a few months until the landlord allows another drug dealer to move in. The equitable relief available under the Drug Nuisance Law can focus on the landlord's behavior, the real source of the problem. Drug nuisance cases and other civil remedies which solve ongoing problems and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods can be an integral part of community policing. By Michael Sarbanes For more information, contact Michael Sarbanes, Director, City of Baltimore, Baltimore's Comprehensive Communities Program, 10 South St., Suite 400, Baltimore, MD 21202. Phone: (410) 396-4370. Fax: (410) 625-2107. Article Nine The Curmudgeon Citizen By Al Forman There are smart people and smart organizations. There are dimwit people and dimwit organizations. You can't always tell them apart by looking at them and often not by listening to them. But you can tell the difference by what they do when things are running as smooth as a one-legged chicken. The smart person focuses on finding the underlying problem and changing how he or she functions to fix it. The dimwit keeps doing more of the same, over and over again. Police departments across America come in these two flavors. Oh, they all agree that they have to catch the bad guys and hope the judge will put them away. They agree that you try to move at warp speed to handle emergencies. The difference is that the police departments with fossilized thinking believe they can't do anything other than what they are doing. The progressive and intelligent police departments think they can do something to head crime off at the pass by being proactive, anticipating problems and resolving conflicts--to the extent possible--before risky situations escalate to crime. The only way to achieve this is for the police and the citizenry to work together in a partnership for our mutual benefit. This smart approach is what community policing is all about. So Johnny Resident, and his wife and kids, should get to know and trust the cop on the beat. Johnny Cop (who is also a resident with wife and kids) is assigned to one specific neighborhood so he can get to know as many of the folks as time and miles allow. We should be proud that our police and residents are blending in community policing instead of adopting an us-and-them outlook. Of course, trained officers will continue to handle the dangerous stuff. But we're still all partners, smart partners for our own good. Al Forman is a regular contributor to Community Policing Exchange. Mr. Forman is a volunteer with the police department in Port St. Lucie, Fla, and produces the department's public newsletter, titled Community. Article Ten Street Drinking Gets Curbed in Portland To address the issue of street drinking, an occurrence that plagues American cities, both big and small, the Portland Police Department looked beyond the traditional method of arrest and detoxification to solve this persistent problem. Portland, Ore. The Problem The heart of this matter resided in Old Town, a trendy area in Portland integrating lively restaurants and nightclubs, with light industrial businesses and residential loft apartments. During the latter part of 1991, and the early part of 1992, Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct witnessed increasing numbers of transients and consequently, an increase in alcohol-related crimes. Contributing to these incidents was the availability of large-sized containers of beer and malt liquor. While packaged and sold as single servings, in fact, each of these products had the alcohol equivalency of a six-pack of regular beer or five glasses of wine. For more than a decade Portland officials tried various strategies to deal with alcohol availability and how it impacted neighborhood liveability. Not a great deal of progress was made, largely because of the difficulty in pinpointing street drinking to a particular business. Actually observing the sale of alcohol to an individual, in this case a "street drinker," is not an easy task. Also complicating the equation is the unlawful and disturbing behavior that arises from excessive, habitual-drinking, doesn't usually occur inside of a particular store, but rather outside the common area of several businesses. As a result, identifying the area impacted by street drinking is far easier than identifying the shops reinforcing the problem by their lax policies. Most of the behavior exhibited by these habitual drinkers is limited to harassment, panhandling, public urination and littering. However, there have been more violent demonstrations causing business owners and residents increased concern for their own safety, as well as for that of customers. Not surprisingly, this problem behavior has been bad for the area's image and has been destructive to the area's vitality as well. The Partnership Agreement During the summer of 1992, two Old Town convenience stores came up for liquor review before the Portland City Council. In response to community concerns, the police and license bureaus asked the stores to stop selling large containers of beer. These stores declined, but the idea caught on and in October 1992, six major retailers agreed to a voluntary ban on large containers of alcoholic substances. Their agreement stated that the community and the police would seek to expand this partnership to all retailers within the same geographic area. City council members reviewed the agreement and initiated a plan to encourage the participation of additional businesses. The council also made recommendations to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) to implement the same restrictions on package store liquor licenses within this problem area. Once agreements had been established with 40 businesses, the Central Precinct Alcohol Issues Committee was formed. The purpose of this committee was to bring together all of the city bureaus and community representatives who had a vested interest in alcohol issues. The committee worked on a variety of matters from street drinking, which continues to plague some neighborhoods, to the training of central precinct officers in how to work with problem liquor outlets and the neighborhoods they affect. Results in Fewer Problems Recent reports by bureau license investigators indicate that since the partnership agreement was enacted, retailers have experienced fewer problems with loitering, panhandling and other types of disruptive behavior. The number of customer complaints have also diminished. The partnership agreement was considered such a success it was nominated by the city council executive staff as the city's entry for the "League of Oregon Cities 1994 Award for Excellence." Law enforcement officers in Portland have found that partnership agreements are excellent ways in which police and the community can work together to implement innovative solutions to chronic problems, even in times of tight resources. By Officer Kelly Lewis and Sergeant Greg Hendricks For more information on partnership agreements contact the Portland Police Bureau Planning and Support Division at (503) 823-0283. For more details about the alcohol ban partnership agreement contact Sergeant Greg Hendricks at the Portland Police Bureau Central Precinct, (503) 823-0097.