Community policing takes different forms, depending on the needs of the community in which it is applied. Examples of community policing programs are increasing foot patrols, creating a visible police presence by attending community meetings, and opening storefront police offices in one section of the city. Because community policing is a philosophy rather than a tactic -- a proactive, decentralized approach -- it can be shaped to meet the specific needs of the community it is designed to serve. This article briefly describes a number of NIJ research and evaluation efforts that deal with community policing. Also, NIJ is developing a strategic plan to promote innovation in community policing and to encourage the implementation of community policing across the Nation. To stimulate innovation in community policing, NIJ's national strategy will involve three efforts: developing core elements of community policing, including definitions and policies for use by police and their communities; encouraging implementation of community policing by working with police officers and administrators, developing training guidelines, and providing other types of technical assistance; and conducting rigorous and objective evaluations of programs to determine their impact and to find ways of improving them. Approaches to community policing are described for New York City's 72nd precinct and Madison's (Wisconsin) experimental police district. The article concludes with a discussion of what works in community policing. 4 notes