Issues in Canadian Policing. Community Policing and its Factors

Community Policing in Canada
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Community Policing in Canada
Changes in the social demand that there should be adjustments in every aspect. Particular about such changes are the dynamic demographic factors such as immigration and increasing diversity. Such changes translate into the need for newer services or at least newer lenses by which services are approached. Policing is an integral component of the society currently that should be leading among the prospects that fuel changes. Unfortunately, in Canada, that is not the case. Policing seems to stay behind in addressing the actual changes in the community. If nothing is done eminently, the Canadian society could be rendered lawless in the near future. Community policing is an emerging trend in policing that should be adopted effectively. Aspects of community policing including crime deterrence, education, commitment to the community needs, and uniting community are becoming relevant to modern policing practices. This paper analyzes community policing and its viability in the Canadian setting. The paper defines the key components of the concept, assesses its related facts, issues, and data, and analyzes its viability. The content of the analysis could be important to unearthing whether the Canadian community is ready to adopt a new approach to policing.
Community Policing and its Factors
Community policing is a concept that has been subjected to debates in various judicial settings. Superficially, community policing involves the systematic use of partnerships to solve problems associated with crime and social disorder (Saberi, 2017). In community policing, law enforcement officers collaborate with members of the community to instill the necessary changes in as far as safety is concerned. This concept diverges from the traditional confines where policing was a primary function of the law enforcement officers. Community policing anchors its relevance in the understanding that it is impossible to satisfy the needs of people completely without involving such people in the actual implementation plan. If policing is to work efficiently in society, it needs to address each stakeholder. The relevance of this prospect is further elevated on the grounds that it matches the needs of the current diverse community (Peed, 2008). A country such as Canada is facing diversity faster than many nations due to immigration. As such, it is a community that consists of people with different needs. Not taking individual needs into consideration in issuing policing could be a disaster to the Canadian people in the near future. An ideal community policing platform is divided into three components that are discussed individually below:
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships mark the first component of community policing that must be explored in any attempt towards implementing community policing. Community partnerships are collaborative partnerships that involve stakeholders such as independent organizations, members of the community, and the law enforcement agencies to develop solutions and increase the trust that the community has in the entirety of policing (Peed, 2008). Community partnerships work in the philosophy that it is inadequate to believe that police can solve all the safety problems alone. As such, the partnerships advocate for interactive and collaborative efforts aimed at addressing safety and social issues. The list of partners can be large bearing that each member of the Canadian community is a viable member of the partnerships (Jones, Ruddell, & Summerfield, 2019). However, each partnership initiative grounded on community policing must be geared towards improving public trust in the police and encouraging collaborative approaches towards finding solutions to the policing problems that the community faces.
There are stakeholders who would need in an attempt to initiate community policing even though the membership is limitless. First among such vital members are the media outlets (Saberi, 2017). The media is an important component between the police and the community. The primary tool of communication between the public and the police is the media.in developing a community policing strategy, the media can play the role of publicizing the new codes or laws that are poised to be enforced, assist with publicizing the formulated solutions, and explore various public concerns related to the issues at hand. The media is also a powerful tool that could influence the public in exploring issues such as fear of crime, crime problems, and the perceptions of the police. The entirety of agenda-setting relies upon the media.
The other stakeholders that could be integral to the implementation of community policing in as far as community partnerships are concerned are for-profit and non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations are those that offer services to the community freely (Peed, 2008). Such organizations are influential tools and could be employed to initiate positive changes in policing. The value of non-profit organizations is embedded in their ability and experience in working with members of the community and partners who share common interests. Such non-profit service providers can, hence, mobilize diverse members of the community including the faith community, community development corporations, advocacy groups, issue groups, support groups, service clubs, and victim groups to initiate positive changes in community policing (Jones, Ruddell, & Summerfield, 2019). Private businesses also have a role to play in initiating newer policing strategies. Such private businesses can help in identifying the problems and allocating resources necessary in addressing the identified concerns. Emphasis must be put on the fact that private businesses thrive in communities where policing is emphasized to be integral to the progress.
The last category of partners should be government agencies and community members. Community members are the individuals who work, live, or have any interests in the community. Such individuals could be commuters, visitors and tourists, residents, formal and informal community leaders, activists, and volunteers (Saberi, 2017). Combined, they are a valuable resource in identifying the needs of the community concerning policing. Community members could be engaged through team beat assignments, decentralized office meetings, neighborhood associations, and town hall meetings to air their concerns about the prevailing trends in policing. With such information, policy implementers can understand the needs of the community and attempt addressing individual needs. Conversely, law enforcement executes the official aspects of policing. The government agencies can include schools, ordinance enforcement agencies, child support services, health and human services, neighboring law enforcement agencies, public works departments, probation and parole, prosecutors, legislative bodies, and the police (Peed, 2008). These are stakeholders who oversee the actual implementation of the formulated solutions. It is important that all the above stakeholders partner to collectively achieve the set goals. If each individual partner collaborates and supports the initiatives effectively, chances are high that community policing could prosper.
Organizational Transformation
Organizational transformation is the second aspect of community policing that policymakers must emphasize to implement the prospect effectively. Proactive problem solving and community partnerships must be supported by efficient structures. Organizational transformation explores the inputs that must be introduced in the governance of policing to match the needs of community policing. Community policing comes with a philosophical shift in the manner in which the nation addresses its safety needs. As such, there is an element of restructuring at every attempt of implementing the policies (Jones, Ruddell, & Summerfield, 2019). Through organizational transformation, it becomes simpler to increase efficiency and effectiveness by encouraging modern practices in management. One organizational factor that has impeded policing in Canada is bureaucracy. Bureaucracy makes it impossible for the smooth flow of information within any organizational structure. With community policing in place, that has to be accompanied by change rooted in a divisional structure (Loftus, 2010). The available technologies, personnel, and management must collaborate to execute the efficient organizational transformation.
There are three components of organizational transformation that must be taken into consideration when it comes to community policing. First among the considerations is agency management. The police management must infuse new changes in their attempts to adopt community policing (O’Malley & Hutchinson, 2009). One of the areas that could require such critical changes is organizational climate and culture. Climate defines the general mood in the workplace setting while the culture implies some unwritten standards of how things are done in particular organizations. Traditionally, the police culture focused on independence and use of derivative approaches to enforce the law. Such a culture must change to emphasize collaboration. The climate must also be accommodative of diversity (Murphy, 1998). It is worth remembering that people with different attributes or even ethnic backgrounds will be involved at the core of policing if community policing is implemented. With such diversity must come the desire to compromise and accommodate others. Leadership is another aspect of agency management that must be revitalized with the implementation of community policing (Loftus, 2010). Leaders must now become the role models of morality that members of the community would gladly follow into their footprints. The other aspects of agency management that should be taken into consideration with the influx of community policing include increased transparency, organizational evaluations, policing and procedures, strategic planning, and decentralized decision making (Masterson, 2009). All such changes could enhance the value of policing.
The second component of organizational transformation that needs revision is the organizational structure with the implementation of community policing. The organizational structure accounts for the duties and responsibilities of stakeholders in policing (O’Malley & Hutchinson, 2009). That implies the need to emphasize what people must achieve within specific time frames. One of the changes in organizational structure is in the geographic assignment of officers. With community policing comes the need to shift to long-term officer assignments to specific neighborhoods. That is because the policy works by integrating members of the law enforcement agencies into the community literally (Masterson, 2009). The other aspects of organizational structure that must be considered for transformation include de-specialization and management of resources and finances.
The last components of organizational transformation that demand emphasis includes personnel and the applications of information systems technology. Personnel remains a vital component of any organization when it comes to initiating changes (Murphy, 1998). It is important that the personnel are integrated into the new platforms of operations. Some of the areas of focus in personnel transformation include recruitment, hiring, and selection, personnel supervisions and evaluation, and training. All such prospects enhance the motivation to revitalize policing into a community-based project. Ultimately, technology is developing into an important efficiency element. However, organizations must understand how to employ technology in benefitting the community rather than causing harm to the members. Some of the aspects of the information systems that must be addressed include access to data and communi...