Students structured their arguments about the meaning of community policing in essentially two ways. About half began by strongly denying that community policing was simply another name for Neighborhood Watch. The alternative approach was to outline long-term trends in policing and place the evolution of community policing programs in a historical context. Essays looked at how community policing would benefit individual police officers, the police bureaucracy, and the community as a whole. No essay described community policing as a win-win situation. It was generally argued that community policing encourages community trust; this trust brings more information to the police and, in turn, leads to a greater number of arrests. The essays also implied that community policing programs would better educate citizens about the nature of the criminal justice system and the role of police in that system. Certain essays pointed out that community policing requires higher expertise in police ranks as well as flexibility and openness to change. Students generally felt that community policing is a means by which police organizations can achieve professional status. 17 references