Community policing has transitioned from the buzz-word of the 1980s to the way of doing business for state, local and tribal police organizations in the new millennium.
While that “way of doing business” may vary from one location to another, community policing simply is a philosophy of operations that involves three central premises.
Partnerships between the police and the public they serve; partnerships in which the role of the police and the public for preventing crime and improving public order is a shared responsibility.
Problem solving; systematic and joint efforts aimed at reducing the root causes of crime and addressing the kinds of issues that resulting police calls for service.
Organizational change; changing the core and the culture of the organization is such manners as it supports, rewards and properly prepares its employees for engaging in partnership building and problem solving behaviors.
After three decades of implementation, more and more communities share a common belief that this manner of policing is the best way of doing business.