Improving police/community relations

About this book

An array of techniques, procedures and operational guidelines designed to enable police departments to implement effective community relations projects. This handbook is one of a series of prescriptive packages intended to provide criminal justice administrators with both background information and operational guidelines in selected program areas. This report represents an effort to identify various police operational and organizational practices specifically aimed at the improvement of police-community relations. Through site visits, personal interviews and a survey of the available literature, the author became acquainted with various innovative programs aimed at improving police-community relations. The general strategy recommended emphasizes the need for stressing improved community relations in all major police activities. It presents operational guidelines in the areas of policy administration, field operations, training, personnel procedures, and conflict management. The author concludes that the most critical elements in determining success in such a program are a strong administrative commitment and good police-community relations practices throughout all major police functions.