Ccjs/2121 Policing And Community Safety Analysis

CCJS 2121-Policing and Community Safety

The purpose of this essay is to critically analyse how policing has developed from the 1970s to the present day, with regards to problem-oriented policing. The issues that will be explored will be police accountability within the service and the effectiveness and efficiency of the service. It will then look at zero tolerance policing in contrast, with regards to how the strategic methods differ in terms of police legitimacy.

Policing is often seen as a government initiative concerned with reducing crime. Whilst crime was traditionally tackled by means of enforcement such as rapid response, searches and criminal interrogations, a paradigm shift has occurred within recent years. Since the 1970s there has

Whilst enforcement or community engagement takes place, it is more concerned with dealing with the underlying issues associated with such communities. Whilst there is a clear association with situational crime prevention, it endeavors to develop a clear understanding and creates justifications from the data which is collected. However, this is largely dependent on whether the problem is of relevance, and non-traditional enforcement responses often take place as a way of promoting community policing, and gaining public confidence (Johnston

William Bratton was appointed Commissioner of the New York Police Department in 1994 and implemented change. ‘Zero tolerance’ policing was introduced and within a short period of time it became an influential component of the Police Service in Britain. However, many believe that this form of policing had no significance within the service. The strategy was based on the ‘Broken Windows’ thesis which emerged a decade earlier (Wilson and Kelling 1982). A public intolerance of any type of crime, generated moral panic within society as well as community decline. There was a belief amongst the public that there was a greater risk of serious crime transpiring. For this reason, ZTP was adapted as a strategy, and people committing offences which were not deemed serious (quality of life offences), were arrested and officers were required to run checks on offenders in order to determine whether they were linked to more serious offences. The problematic element was that most of these offences were committed by young males, and this ideology was reinforced within the police, media and government officials. This type of policing was in complete contrast to problem-oriented policing. It was reactive and enforcement-led, rather than proactive. Whilst new labour politicians were very much in agreement with ZTP, ACPO were in opposition. Whilst this technique of policing was seen as a way of imposing order and decreasing moral