vision2020@moscow.com: community law enforcement panel

community law enforcement panel

Bill London (london@wsunix.wsu.edu)
Wed, 23 Oct 1996 10:18:45 -0700 (PDT)

The panel discussion of community law enforcement or community-oriented
policing (hereafter CP) on Tuesday night (sponsored by Vision 2020) was a
very good introduction to the applicability of this "new" police strategy
to Latah County. Panelists included Quint Thurman from WSU and George
Capowich from UI and Charlie Gerke (Moscow safe-schools coordinator).
Capowich began by listing 5 essentials of CP--an orientation to
problem-solving, consultation between police and community, police must be
adaptable, police hierarchy must be decentralized and communty mobilized,
and the police must be will ing to change. He also cited several rural
counties where CP has worked/is working.
Thurman added that the traditional view of the police as the
experts has given way in CP to police as partners and coalition-builders.
Police engage the community in problem-solving. CP produces trust in
police and likely results in more calls to police for help.
Gerke focused on the kinds of partnerships with schools and police
that result in preventative law enformcement.

Now here's a series of unattributed ideas that were mentioned or generated
during the discussion. Anyone wishing to see a videotape of the meeting
should contact Greg Meyer at 882-1674.
--Using CP, police must reward non-authoritarian behavior among the
officers
--in most police agencies, there is serious internal resistance to CP,
mostly from the middle level administrators. The transition is not easy.
--the challenge of CP training is to deprogram young cops raised on TV
violence
--CP in Latah County more likely to work than traditional police
patrolling. CP here would begin by asking rural residents about police
and their concerns
--CP could work in Latah COunty. Sheriff could ask UI/Capowich for help
(in locating grant support, or in internships for students, or in help
with assessments and surveys of residents)
--Plenty of grant support is available from federal & state sources to
transistion to CP

BL

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