Legal Issues

Neighborhood or community policing is a philosophy or strategy of policing that was founded on the concept of community support and interaction with the law enforcers in a move that was greatly aimed at reducing fear and controlling crime. This is possible since the members of the community can assist the police in bringing various security problems to the police officers attention, detaining vandals and identifying suspects. Using community policing as a policing approach encourages organizational strategies that assist in the systematic application of problem solving and partnership techniques, in proactively addressing the instantaneous conditions that normally bring about issues of public safety such as social disorder, crime fear and crime (Liou  Savage, 1996).

Community policing
In essence, community policing is the collaboration between the community and the police that not only identifies but also solves various community problems. Under community policing, the police officers cease to be the sole custodians of order and law, they are instead helped by all the community members who become very active partners in contributing to efforts that are aimed at enhancing and promoting safety in the neighborhoods. This policing approach which is relatively new has implications that are far reaching. The extended stance of crime prevention and control, increased emphasis on making all community members participants with an active role in the in the problem solving process, and the pivotal role of patrol officers in this approach of policing requires changes that are profound within the institute of law enforcers (Mathiesen, 2006)

Community policing increases the effectiveness of police officers since they are made to be more proactive in their duties of maintaining security in the neighborhoods. The people who bring about insecurity within the community live among the community members and are best known to the community members compared to the police officers. This therefore means that, it is the community members who are best placed in assisting police officers in identifying and arresting such people. The essence of community policing is basically to reduce the gap that existed in traditional policing approach between the police officers and community members, whereby each party perceived the other with a lot of suspicion with little trust if any between them (Liou  Savage, 1996).

By working closely with members of community, the police employing neighborhood policing strategy are at a better chance of protecting and detecting crimes in the neighborhoods. In this case, police are in a position of serving the community members better since they are able to prevent crimes from taking place unlike in the traditional approach where they could rush to scenes where crimes have already taken place and people have already suffered. The members of community assist the police in detecting various crimes and thus prevent such crimes from taking place and thus reducing crime rate in the neighborhoods (Liou  Savage, 1996).

Conclusion
Reinvigorating societies is very essential in deterring crime from taking place and creating moral neighborhoods where crime is not given an opportunity of thriving. There are therefore needs to break down the barriers of mistrust and apathy that exist between the police and the community members. Such breakdown can pave way for the forging of partnerships that are meaningful to both the community members and the police officers. Trust is a very important value that links and underlies components of problem solving and community partnership with the law enforcers so that all can have a chance of living in safe neighborhoods without fear and victimization. This can effectively be achieved through community policing since it creates a trust foundation that permits police to develop closer links with community members.