A Qualitative Analysis of Community Policing in the United States

This article determines whether community policing has led to police effectiveness in serving and protecting the American people. The article includes a description of community policing and a discussion of the historical foundation and framework of community policing. In addition, this article examines the impact of community policing on traditional police functions and strategy focusing on three key elements of community policing that are believed to have led to change in traditional police functions and strategy under community policing. Furthermore, the article assesses community policing and finds it to be an effective policing strategy in the United States partly because of its emphasis on dealing with the underlying causes of crime rather than attacking the symptoms of crime. Thus, community policing has enabled the police to be effective in serving and protecting the American people.