Police departments everywhere have been challenged with budget cuts. They have been forced to make the hard decision of laying off some of their fellow officers who watched their backs every day. The departments are losing resources and are still tasked with the same duties and controlling criminal activity which is not declining in force. This creates problems with how the community views the police. The departments must learn to police on a budget and this comes with innovation and sacrifices.
With the layoffs taking place at several departments the police are being hurt. The officers are being let go not due to disciplinary issues, they were just the unlucky newest hires to the department. They wanted to help people and laid their lives on the line everyday to protect the citizens of their community. Their service was thanked with a stab in the back from the legislators, who they also protected, when the budget cuts to the departments were passed. This left a void in the police departments where there was less patrol officers and community liaisons. The officers who were not laid off now face cuts to their benefits and retirement that they were counting at the end of their career.
Community relations are drastically affected by the budget crisis. The police in several cities have needed to create a list of crimes that they will no longer respond to in order to use their resources more carefully (Webster 2010). When the public calls, they expect the police to show up. When the police do not show this will put a strain on the relationship. The community will feel less safe and they will be. Criminals will look at the publicized list of crimes that do not warrant police response and will know what they can get away with. The crime rates will rise and this will further distance the community from the police. The community will see the rising crime rate, less police presence, and will know that their area is less safe and will blame the police for this. With the public feeling more distanced from the police they will be less likely to come to the department with a problem that may provide an opportunity for proactive policing.
The police must adjust to these cuts and try new ways of policing. The use of community oriented policing has been a strong tool in crime prevention. Citizens are a powerful resource and are needed now more than ever in the efforts of law enforcement. The citizens feel a stronger bond with the police and are more willing to call them with their problems (Mirsky 2009). Crime prevention through community oriented policing can help to prevent a string of crimes by stopping them before the first one occurs. This tool needs more emphasis in the limited resource environment that many departments are facing. The departments must insure that these connections do not fade with the community because 100 pairs of eyes are better than the two pairs that it would take to inspire the 100. The practice of assigning non sworn personnel to handle these programs is a good way to use the resources that the department has without taking an officer from patrol. These non sworn personnel can send out alerts to citizens or receive tips that will help with the police mission of protecting the community (Hall 2010).
In a situation where resources are limited police departments must adapt to the new environment. Policing has evolved with the communities around them and needs to do the same with the economy. Through the use of the innovative thinking of community oriented policing they will be able to increase their ability to deter and detect crime before it has a chance to expand. Some police will view citizens as not sworn officers and not of much use, but these people are a valuable resource. These people are the very community that is being protected and inspiring them to help make their own living area better can create an immensely strong resource for the police in a time of shrinking resources.
Sources
Hall, Rob (October 2010). Poor Chief’s Guide: Effective Community Policing on a Budget.
Police One. Accessed 11/9/11. <http://www.policeone.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/2773283-Poor-Chiefs-Guide-Effective-community-policing-on-a-budget/>
Mirsky, Ian (2009). Community Oriented Policing. Internet Journal of Criminology. Accessed
11/9/11. <http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/Mirsky_Community_Oriented_Policing.pdf>
Webster, Steven (July 2010). Oakland Fires 80 Officers, Lists Crimes Cops Will No Longer
Respond To. The Raw Story. Accessed 11/9/11.
<http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/07/13/oakland-fires-80-police-officers-lists-crimes
-longer-respond/>
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