During the past 20 years, various demonstration projects and evaluations have highlighted the limitations of traditional police practices. Specifically, evaluators have challenged the effectiveness of random motorized patrols, rapid response strategies, routine criminal investigations, and traditional crime analyses. The concept of community policing, which emerged in the 1980's, is somewhat nebulous and can assume many forms in the field. Foot patrol is probably the most popular and widely implemented component of community policing. Despite its rising popularity, community policing's feasibility is uncertain, particularly because many police departments tend to resist change. In order to create effective partnerships with the community, police departments need a better understanding of the social forces that influence citizen participation in community life. Community policing involves decentralized police services, community organization, police outreach, and problem-oriented policing. Overall, existing evaluations suggest that community policing can have a favorable impact on perceptions of both police officers and neighborhood residents. 48 references