Community Orientated Policing

The Forest Park Police Department has adopted a community oriented policing philosophy to deal with criminal activity in our community. Community policing is a policing strategy and philosophy based on the notion that community interaction and support can help control crime and reduce fear, with community members helping to identify suspects, detain vandals and bring problems to the attention of the police. Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, which proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder and the fear of crime.

For community policing to be successful it is imperative that the police department develop a partnership with the community. Collaborative partnerships between the law enforcement agency and the individuals and organizations they serve are necessary to develop solutions to problems and increase the trust in the police. These partnerships must be forged in conjunction with other government agencies, community members and groups, human and social services providers, private businesses and the media.

Community policing is when police officers get more involved with the citizens of the community they serve, by officers getting out in their community and talking with citizens. Police officers must go into the community and not wait for problems to come to them. Community policing allows the public and police to get together and come up with ideas and programs that will help them work out mutual problems. When community policing is successful it can cut down on crime making communities a safer place to live. Community policing will give a community a better understanding of what their police officers do. It also helps to provide the community the opportunity to work together to solve issues. Not only issues that the citizens know about that the police do not but also issues that the police know about that the citizen’s do not. Community policing brings the two forces together to fight crime and criminal acts within the people’s personal neighborhoods.