MANUAL ON

COMMUNITY ORIENTED
POLICING SYSTEM

PNPM-DS-8-95
 CHAPTER I

UNDERSTANDING COPS

Introduction

The police role in society has increasingly become a significant issue in

contemporary policing. The police begin to encompass a greater function
considering the complexity of the social problems and enormity of issues
confronting peace and security. Public expectations and organizational
concerns demand innovative approaches to policing. Criticisms from various
sectors require police organization to assess current practices and functions
and align them with the needs and values of the community. Global
experiences, likewise, assert a shift in policing philosophy and operating style
- from the traditional incident-driven to a problem-focused, community based
approach.

One of the major limitations of professional policing and its crime

control policies is the failure of the police to elicit the full cooperation and
participation of community residents, community organizations, and other
agencies who share mutual responsibility for crime prevention. Today, police
officials and community leaders have introduced innovative policies,
strategies, programs, and schemes to remedy this shortcoming.

Community policing or problem-oriented policing is the latest and most

popular innovation in the police field in lieu of the traditional "911" approach.
Progressive police organizations have realized that they have to accomplish
more aside from responding to citizen complaints and emergencies by
engaging in planned activities to prevent and reduce crime.

Rosebaum (1990) asserts that community policing and problem-

oriented policing represents a philosophy of policing more than a specific set
of programs and activities. The central elements of this philosophy include: (1)
a broader definition of what constitutes legitimate police work, (2) interactions
between the police and the citizenry, (3) greater attention to proactive problem
solving and crime prevention strategies, and (4) efforts to restructure police
bureaucracies to provide more decentralized planning and service delivery. At
the core of this entire orientation is the recognition that "co-production" (i.e.,
joint efforts to produce public safety) is the most sensible approach to combat
crime and Fear of crime given the nature of the problem. The promise of
community policing lies in its capacity to address a wide range of social and
physical problems that contribute to neighborhood crime and fear of crime. It
offers to mobilize numerous individuals and agencies in this effort. The
prevention and control of crime are not the exclusive responsibility of the
police such that the major challenge facing police administrators is how to
mobilize other public and private agencies, community groups, and individual
citizens in the fight against crime.
 The Philippine National Police, recognizing its role vis-a-vis society and
the global trend in innovative and progressive policing, has institutionalized
the COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING SYSTEM (COPS) as its dominant
managerial and operational style. Its proponent, Police Director General
Recaredo Arevalo Sarmiento II, put this at the forefront of the National
Strategic Action Plan (POLICE 2000) of the Philippine National Police.

Community-oriented policing stemmed from the continuing assessment

of police strategies and practices. Evaluation showed indications that some
efforts on organizational effectiveness have indeed created a gap between
the police and segments of society. COPS is envisioned as a strategy for
bridging that gap while strengthening police effectiveness in preventing and
controlling crime. But what constitutes community-oriented policing system?
This handbook translates the rhetoric into realistic program components.
Emphasizing that COPS requires a change not only in practice but in
philosophy, the handbook includes constraints the police is likely to face in its
implementation.

Fundamentals of COPS

The underlying framework for COPS is that the community should play
a more active and coordinated part in enhancing peace and order. The police
nor the criminal justice system cannot beat that responsibility alone. The
public should act as "co- producers" of public safety and order. Community
policing thus imposes a new responsibility on the police to devise appropriate
ways of associating the community with law enforcement and the
maintenance of order. (Skolnick and Bayley, 1988)

Scholars insist that COPS is said to exist only when innovative

approaches are undertaken that mobilize the community and heightened their
participation in crime prevention and control. Police practices should not be
referred to as COPS simply because their intent was to lead to greater public
involvement. COPS deserves to be recognized if it represents a march off
from past practices and if it reflects a new strategic and tactical reality
Community-oriented policing is a philosophy based on the premise that police
stations work together with their communities to resolve not only crime, but
also quality-of-life issues that are important to the community and will better
fulfill the police mission. Community-oriented policing, is an interactive
process between the policeman and the residents in specific beats. Together,
they develop ways to identify community problems and concerns, and then
draw on available resources from both the police station and the community to
provide viable solutions. (Perez, 1993)

In order to effect the COPS concept, fundamental changes must be

made ;n the policing strategy. The institutionalization of COPS requires an on-
going, methodical analysis of the police station and the community its serves.
In order to implement this approach, a number of organizational changes that
support problem solving in the
communities must be adopted.
 A move to COPS serves to energize the station, stimulate the
policemen, produce more satisfaction within the community and establish a
contemporary police station. New York Police Commissioner Lee P. Brown
described COPS as "the articulation of policing values that incorporate
citizens involvement in matters that directly affect the safety and quality of
neighborhood life. The culture of the police department therefore becomes
one that not only recognizes the merits of community involvement but also
seeks to organize and manage departmental affairs in ways that are
consistent with such beliefs."

The transformation of a police station to the COPS philosophy should

be viewed not as a quick remedy but as long range effort with specific
evolutionary phases.

By definition, COPS constitutes a major shift in organizational values

and a supportive commitment of police leadership and the individual
policeman. These factors, coupled with certain political, economic and social
urban realities, could cause problems that effectively preclude the
implementation of COPS. (Rush, 1992)

According to its advocates, COPS represents a new way of thinking

about policing, founded on the premise that policemen are creative, intelligent
individuals who can work with people, identify problems and determine the
best solutions to those problems. Unfortunately, although many policemen
possess such qualities, few are allowed the organizational latitude and
discretion to make creative or independent decisions. This somewhat
idealistic formulation does not rest comfortably on traditional organization or
with traditional executives.

According to Robert Trojanowicz and Bonnie Bucqueroux, COPS is "a

new philosophy of policing based on the concept that police officers and
private citizens working together in creative ways can help solve
contemporary community problems related to crime, fear of crime, social and
physical disorder and neighborhood decay." The philosophy is predicated on
the belief that achieving these goals requires that police departments
develop.a new relationship with the law-abiding people in the community,
allowing them a greater voice in setting local police priorities and involving
them. in efforts to improve the overall quality of life in their neighborhoods. It
shifts the focus of police work from handling random calls to solving
community problems.

As can be gleaned from the above definition, COPS is comprised of a

number of interrelated elements reflecting an organizational commitment to
policing that:
a. is based upon a set of organizational values that reflect beliefs clearly
articulated throughout the station as well as the community;
b. emphasizes a commitment to resolving underlying quality-of-life issues
that lead to criminal behavior, rather than simply responding to each incident
as it is reported;
c. recognizes that responses to "911 calls" is not the only measure of police
work;
d, focuses on the neighborhoods as the basic level for delivering law
enforcement services;
e, gives neighborhood residents the responsibility for developing and
implementing problem solving strategies;
f. increases accountability of the police to neighborhood residents, police
officers to each other and the agency to the community;
g. ^empowers police officers at the lowest level of the organization to solve
problems7not just report them, by authorizing sufficient discretion to make
binding decisions and take action; and,
h. changes the duties and responsibilities of supervisors and commanders
within the police stations to make them facilitators and expediters of
resources. (Perez, 1993)

although the definition of COPS cannot encompasses all the problems

associated wit its implementation, the following principles emerged as a basis
for its viability:

1. An admission that the police alone cannot solve the problem, and that
direct participation by citizens is also required.
2. A shift in the focus of problem definition to a customer orientation, and a
corresponding concentration on those problems identified by the citizens
themselves as being of greatest concern.
3. An emphasis on proactive rather than reactive policing, replacing a total
preoccupation with 91; calls with efforts targeted at particular problems.
4. The identification and implementation of a range of non-traditional
approaches.
5. The redirection of officers from their cruisers into more direct contact with
the community, along with the delegation of decision making authority to the
patrol officer's level.

Traditional Policing: Characteristics

The motivation for COPS as an underlying philosophy of policing did

not emanate from somebody's thought. Instead, it has emerged from the
development of the police discipline. Police professionals are continuously
challenging the beliefs and assumptions that have dominated the police
service in the past. Indeed, this shows police leaders' commitment to ensuring
that the strategies being adopted are applicable not only to the present but in
the future as well. Only by harnessing what works well and realigning what no
longer meets the needs of the community can police organizations face up to
the problems and deliver the services that citizens deserve and expect.

Brown (1989) emphasized that the evolution of COPS is not complete

What is commonly called traditional policing remains the dominant practice in
most police organizations. It has developed a number of identifying
characteristics as follows:
1. The police is reactive to incidents. The organization is driven by calls for
police service.
2. Information from and about the community is limited. Planning efforts
focus on internally generated police data.
3. Planning is narrow in its focus and centers on internal operations such as
policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
4. Recruitment focuses on the spirit of adventure rather than spirit of service.
5. Patrol officers are restrained in their role. They are not encouraged or
expected to be creative in addressing problems and are not rewarded for
undertaking innovative approaches.
6. Training is geared toward the law enforcement role of the police even
though officers spend only 15 to 20 percent of their time on such activities.
7. Management uses an authoritative style and adheres to the military model
of command and control.
8. Supervision is control-oriented as it reflects and reinforces the
organization's management style.
9. Rewards are associated with participating in daring events rather than
conducting service activities.
10. Performance evaluations are based not on outcomes but on activities. The
number of arrests made and the number of citations issued are of paramount
importance.
11. Agency effectiveness is based on data-particularly crime and clearance
rates-from the uniform crime reports.
12. Police departments operate as entities unto themselves, with few
collaborative links to the community.

The growing awareness of limitations of the traditional model of

policing stimulated police institutions to experiment with new approaches to
reducing crime, stilling fears, improving police-community relations and
restoring community confidence in the police. COPS emerged as a follow
through of the field experiences and from the understanding that certain
development stages have to occur to make it succeed as an overall
philosophy of the department.

Institutionalizing COPS

COPS evolves from the reconsideration of traditional policing practices.

The evolutionary phases according to Brown (1989) include the (a)
implementation of individual programs designed to provide the public with
meaningful ways to participate in policing efforts, and (b) more sweeping and
more comprehensive changes.

The initial phase does not require a complete change in the

organization's operating style or system that supports its policing style. The
individual programs are specific entities that does not involve the entire
department or affect the entire community. In the final phase, it is not merely
programs that are being implemented, it is the department style that is being
revamped.
 The evolutionary phases operate under a set of values that
emphasized problem solving and collaboration with the community which
involve redesigning operational activities by experimenting with a variety
community-oriented policing programs expected to result in greater
community involvement in policing efforts.

After the evolutionary period, the police is required to make an

organizational commitment to adopt COPS as its dominant operating style.
Easier transition requires that police station accomplish the following:

a. Break down barriers to change;

b. Educate police officers on the merits of COPS;
c. Reassure personnel that COPS concepts being adopted were an outgrowth
of programs already in place;
d. Address specific problems before making full transition to COPS;
e. Reduce the likelihood that personnel would reject the concept as
inappropriate;
f. Demonstrate to the public the benefits of COPS;
g. Provide a training ground for COPS concepts and strategies;
h. Create advocates from among those who will become trainers; and
i. Demonstrate willingness to experiment with new approaches.

It must be emphasized that police stations have to start COPS with

clear understanding what COPS is and how it differs from traditional policing.
Table 1 distinguishes COPS from the traditional incident-driven policing.
COPS as an operating style and a philosophy of policing contains several
interrelated components, namely:

a. Orientation toward problem solving - because COPS focuses on results as

well as process, incorporated into routine operations are techniques of
problem identification, problem analysis and problem resolution;

b. Articulation of policing values that incorporate citizen involvement in

matters that directly affect the safety and quality of neighborhood life;

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF POLICE MODELS

Philosophy Traditional Law Enforcement Community Policing

1. Police Control of Crime: response, Crime control as a
Mandate deterrence, apprehension means to community
order, peace and
security
Law enforcement Crisis response Preventives as well as
reactive policing
2. Police Authority from law Authority from society,
Authority community granted
through law
Agency of the CJS Agency of LGU and
community
3. Police Role Legally defined/limited by law Socially defined,
 Distinct and separate expanded role
Law Enforcement Legal and social
Officers/professional crimefighters agencies
Addresses crime onlv One of a number of
agencies of order

Addresses crime and

social
problems that affect
crime

4. Community Passive role Active role; policy

Police Supportive, adjunct to police making Shared
Relationship responsibility for crime
and social order
Community as Client
5. Politics Apolitical Political: mediate
Police and political issues interests Responsible to
separate community and political
Fiscal accountability only representatives Policy
and operational
accounting

Developed by the Ministry of llic Solicitor Gcncnl for C;ui;id;i (1986)

c. Adequate understanding of what is important to a particular neighborhood

thus ensuring accountability to the community;
d. Responsibility for making decisions is shared by the police and the
community;
e. Beat boundaries are designed to coincide with natural neighborhood
boundaries;
f. Assignments for an extended period are made to allow policemen to
become an integral part of the community,
g. Beat policemen are encouraged to initiate creative responses to
neighborhood problems;
h. Focus on neighborhood or area-specific investigations;
i. Management is required to support the process by mobilizing the
resources needed to address citizen concerns and problems;
j. Police training emphasizes the complexities and dynamics of the
community and how the police fit into the larger picture;
k. Performance quality is based on the police ability to solve problems and
involve the community in crime fighting efforts; and
l. Understanding that all police resources will be managed, organized and
directed in a manner that facilitates problem solving.

COPS is a policing style that is responsive to the needs of the

community and involves the redesigning of roles and functions for all
policemen. This implies that COPS is an interactive process between the
police and the community to mutually identify and resolve community
problems. What is called for under COPS is the formation of a union between
the police and citizens committed to improve the quality of neighborhood life.
The formation of such partnership requires the police to develop appropriate
management systems, use available resources more effectively, and work th
the community to resolve problems, and prevent and control crimes. (Brown,
1989).

COPS also can be thought of as a management philosophy by

providing a conceptual framework to realize the following:

a. Cooperative interaction among various police functions;

b. Collaborative interaction between the police and citizens to reach a
consensus on what to do to improve the quality of neighborhood life;
c. Integrating the expectations of the public with police actions to ameliorate
conditions affecting the quality of neighborhood life;
d. Result-centered action planning; and
e. Addressing organizational issues.

Program Components of COPS

Skolnick and Bayley (1988), in reviewing experiences worldwide,

identified four components of community-oriented policing, namely; (1)
community-based crime prevention; (2) proactive-non-emergency police
services; (3) police accountability to local communities; and (4)
decentralization of command. These programmatic elements are present in
the various programs and schemes under the banner of COPS being
implemented by the Philippine National Police.

Community-based crime prevention is the ultimate goal and

centerpiece of COPS. Since communities are made up of neighborhoods,
Neighborhood Watch has become the centerpiece of community-based crime
prevention. Neighborhood Watch is done through the following:

a. Residents of a defined area are encouraged to get together and act as the
eyes and ears of the police. This requires a certain amount of vigilance by
residents looking out for suspicious characters and vehicles, and then
informing the police;
b. The police assists the residents in marking their property with individual
code. This is intended to deter thieves and to facilitate identification and return
of stolen property;
c. The police visits residence/households and make recommendations for
improving security and safety.

Above all, Neighborhood Watch tries to inculcate a feeling of

neighborhood identity and therefore of community. This means that an
individual who resides in the neighborhood should bear and share some
collective responsibility for the safety of other persons and the security of their
property, as well as for their own safety and security,
 Neighborhood Watch is a part of a larger concept of multi-agency
policing. This concept is based on the belief that since citizens and the police
have a common interest in stopping crime, public goodwill should be
harnessed whenever possible to achieve this end. Multi-agency policing thus
involves not only Neighborhood Watch and citizen participation, but also the
coordination by the police of various government departments, e.g., LGU
offices, education, social services, health, public works.

Neighborhood Watch is only pan of a broader and more expansive

vision of the role of police in society: police should be seen to be frontrunners
in social change.

Police operations should encourage a deeper involvement with the

community. an involvement not instigated predominantly by emergency calls
for service. Rather than being deployed as an ambulance service, policemen
on patrol should "get to know the community," talk to people in all walks of life,
encourage requests for non- emergency services, and become for non-
emergency services, and become visible part of the community scene. By
doing so, policemen will be able to assist individuals as well as collective self-
protection, to intervene at earlier stages to prevent problems from arising,
develop a heightened appreciation of community concerns, explain police
services more accurately, and solicit information that leads to arrests and
prosecution. Police would still handle genuine emergencies, but with much
reduced force. The point in effect is to unhook a large portion of field
personnel from the emergency response system, so they can engage in
proactive crime prevention.

The kind of reorientation of field operations, practiced in the name of

community- oriented policing is being accomplished in a variety of ways. The
most dramatic change is the redeployment of patrol officers from mobile units
into small, decentralized police posts, e.g., koban of Japan, precursor of
Philippines' "cops on the block."

An intensive form of community involvement is "house visits," where

policemen go door-to-door asking about security problems, offering services,
soliciting suggestions about police activity, and sometimes collecting
information about residents.

Foot beats are another device for unhooking the police from
emergency system, / allowing them to mingle with the public outside a context
of demands. Foot beats may not lessen the volume of requests for service,
but they extend, deepen, and personalize interaction.

Community policing in practice involves not only listening

sympathetically by creating new opportunities to do so. This is a big step for
most police forces, who are afraid to open the floodgates to unfair criticism. It
also clashes with their cherished belief that they are professionals who know
better than anyone else what must be done in order to protect the community
and enforce the law. Yet police have discovered that if they want to enlist
public support and cooperation, they must be prepared to listen to what the
populace has to say, even if it may be unpleasant. Neighborhood Watch and
"getting to know people" will work if police insist on two-way communication.
The police must be willing, at the very least, to tolerate public feedback about
operations so that community policing will not be perceived as "public
relations," and the partnership between police and public will grow wider.

Police forces are establishing an array of liaison officers and

consultative councils with groups whose relations with the police have been
troubled. Naturally enough, liaison officers spend much of their time fending
off potential crises - the uprush of anger, confusion, and violence sometimes
generated by police encounters with these communities and develop
programs to meet special needs. And they are frequently asked to create
educational programs that will increase the knowledge and sensitivity of their
colleagues in dealing with non-mainstream groups.

Police are also trying to cooperate more closely with established

groups and institutions that have a working interest in crime and order.

Even more far-reaching, police are creating new formal committees

and councils to advise them about security needs and operations. They take a
variety of forms, but generally are a mix of elected officials and community
representatives. The purpose is to mobilize public participation, assess
consumer opinion about police services, and communicate information that
will help the police carry their duties more effectively.

In short, community oriented policing embraces the expansion of

civilian input into policing. Reciprocity of communication is not only accepted
but encouraged. Under community policing, the public is allowed to speak and
to be informed about strategic priorities, tactical approaches, and even the
behavior of individual officers.

A key assumption of community-oriented policing is that communities

have different policing priorities and problems. Policing must be adaptable. To
accomplish this, subordinate commanders must be given freedom to act
according to their own reading of local conditions. Decentralization of
command is necessary in order to take advantage of the particular knowledge
that can come through greater police involvement in the community and
feedback from it. It follows from this that not all decentralization qualifies as a
step in the direction of community-oriented policing.

Community-oriented policing uses decentralization to gain operational

flexibility needed to shape police strategies to particular areas. Community-
oriented policing implies that smaller and more local is better.

The enhancement of decision-making responsibility under community-

oriented policing extends beyond subordinate commanders. It involves the
rank and file as well. In addition to their traditional duties, beat patrolmen
organize community groups, i/ suggest solutions to neighborhood problems,
listen unflappably to critical comments, enlist the cooperation of people who
are fearful and resentful, participate intelligently in command conferences,
and speak with poise before public audiences. Such duties require new
aptitudes. Officers must have the capacity to think on their feet and be able to
translate general mandates into appropriate works and actions. A new breed
of police officers is needed. As well as a new command ethos. Community-
oriented police transforms the responsibilities of ail ranks - subordinate ranks
to become more self-directing; senior ranks to encourage disciplined initiative
while developing coherent plans responsive to local conditions.

COPS and Police-Community Relations: Contrasts

In the early stage of its implementation, policemen may be confused of

the concept of COPS and how it differs from police-community relations that
has been in place in all police units. Some may consider the idea as a
repackaging effort for image building or repolishing certain elements of police-
community relations. Trojanowicz (1990) ; argued that "police -community
relations was not an evolutionary step on the way to ^ COPS, but an
unfortunate detour." He differentiated COPS from police-community { relations
to clarify any misunderstanding on the issue. It must be understood, however,
'that COPS as an organizational philosophy and operational strategy cuts
across policing dimensions. It does not assume to replace the current police-
community relations i .program of the police stations.

Theory. COPS is based on organizational theory, open systems theory,

critical theory, normative sponsorship theory, and public policy analysis. PCR
is based on conflict theory, intergroup relations theory, and communications
theory.

Mission. COPS requires a philosophical commitment to involve

ordinary citizens a partners in crime prevention and in so doing contemporary
problems, and in efforts to improve the overall quality of life in the community.

PCR is not a philosophy, but rather a limited approach aimed at

reducing hostility i toward the police among the public. In essence, PCR
implies a narrow, bureaucratic , response to a specific problem rather than a
fundamental change in the overall mission of the police station and increased
expectations of the community.

Organization Strategy. COPS requires everyone in the police station to

explore how they can carry out the mission in practice. Equally important is
that the police-station must permanently deploy a portion of its uniformed
community policemen in specified areas or beats so they can maintain direct,
daily contact with the residents.

RCR is separate specialty unit whose functions are restricted by the

narrow definition of their goals. They have limited ongoing intensive outreach
to the community and no systematic process to effect change within the police
station organization itself.

The Comparison of Community Policing to Police-Community Relations

Community Policing Police-Community Relations
Goal: Solve problems - improved Goal: Change attitudes and project
relations with citizens is a welcome positive image-improved relations
by-product. with citizens is main focus.
Line Function: Regular contact of Staff Function: Irregular contact of
office with citizens. officer with citizens.
Citizens nominate problems and "Blue ribbon" committees identify the
cooperate in setting police agenda. problems and "preach" to police.

Police accountability is insured by the Police accountability is insured by

citizens receiving the service. civilian review boards and formal
police supervision.
Meaningful organizational change Traditional organization stays intact
and departmental restructuring, with "new programs periodically
ranging from officer selection to added, no fundamental organizational
training, evaluation and promotion. change.
A department-wide philosophy and Isolated acceptance often localized to
acceptance. PCR Unit.
Influence is from "the bottom up." Influence is from "the top down" -
Citizens receiving service help set those who "know best" have input
priorities and influence police policy. and make decisions.
Officer is continually accessible, in Intermittent contact with the public
person or by telephone recorder in a because of citywide responsibility
decentralized office. central headquarters.
Officer encourages citizens to solve Citizens are encouraged to volunteer
many of their own problems and but are told to request and expect
volunteer to assist neighbors. more government (including law
enforcement) services.
Success is determined by the Success is determined by traditional
reduction in citizen fear, measures, i.e., crime rates and citizen
neighborhood disorder, and crime. satisfaction with the police.

(Reference: Robert C. Trojanowicz. Community Policing Is Not Police - Community Relations. FBI Law
Enforcement Bulletin, October 1990)

Operational Goals. A commitment to COPS means that police' job must

be reassessed in the light of the new mission. Yet, the ultimate success or
failure of COPS rests primarily with the new community policemen, the
generalists who operate as mini-chiefs within their own areas. They act as full-
service law-enforcement officers who react to problems as they occur, but
their mandate also requires them to involve residents in proactive efforts
focused on the expanded mission of the police. The improvement in police-
community relations is an expected result of delivering decentralized and
personalized police service, but is not the ultimate goal.

Freed from being isolated in a mobile unit and the uninterrupted

demands for service via radio, community policemen act as outreach program
and linkage development specialists and problem solvers. The community
policemen must both overcome public indifference and restrain vigilantism,
recognizing that the police alone cannot maintain order and solve critical
neighborhood problems. Citizens can no longer expect the police to be
mercenaries or security guards. They need to cast off their complacency and
become actively involved.

Community policemen also have the responsibility to mobilize the

citizens individually and in groups including input and assistance from other
government agencies and NGO's. Community policemen also involve
businesses in developing 'new initiatives. The scope of the community-based,
police-supervised local efforts is affected by the time available, the collective
imagination and enthusiasm of the community policemen and the citizens
involved, and the specific resources available.

Because community policemen work so closely with the neighborhood

residents, they build trust and generate more and better information than
other policemen and police units. The job, therefore, requires them to share
whatever information they acquire with other police units.

In contrast, PCR officers tend to communicate more often with the

neighborhood elite and superior officers. The sessions usually focus on
resolving formal complaints and discussing issues and concerns, but PCR
officers have no direct authority to implement change. Instead they only serve
as advisors to the police commanders, which means that results depend less
on their specific actions than on the willingness of police commanders to take
action.

Since PCR officers do enjoy sustained contacts with the community,

they cannot generate specific information on crime, drugs, and disorder to
share with the rest of the organization. Conversely, the job does not provide
opportunity for policemen to - identify local priorities or to initiate and follow up
community-based initiatives. Unlike the community policemen, they do not
have a stake in specific neighborhoods and are viewed as outsiders.

Performance Measures. COPS implies moving away from narrow

quantitative measures of success-number of arrests, response time,
clearance rates, number of complaints against officers-toward qualitative
measures, such as citizen involvement, fear of crime, improvement in quality
of life, and real and perceived improvement in chronic problems.

Accountability. Community policemen are not only supervised by

superiors but the new relationship with the community also means that
ordinary citizens can check on their behavior. Community policemen must
confront every day the people who care most about whether their new
solutions are working.

Since PCR officers have no direct authority to make changes, they are
often perceived by the community as a buffer between the community and the
police station. Particularly in police stations where there is little commitment to
resolving problems, PCR officers often find themselves trapped between
angry community leaders and a defensive police administration. The problem
is compounded because PCR officers are not the policemen who respond
directly to the crime calls, so people cannot hold them directly accountable.

Scope of Impact. The COPS mission carried out directly by community

policemen on the streets can make dramatic changes fast. For example, in
the case of illegal drugs, COPS is expected to the flexibility to respond to
emerging problems in creative ways. Involving residents in community-based,
police-supervised anti-drug initiatives in the neighborhoods offer new
solutions that do not focus exclusively on arrest. Citizens are expected to take
an active part in solving many of the social problems, using the policemen as
a leader and catalyst to change. In COPS, unlike PCR, the policemen
educated citizens on issues like response time and how they can effectively
use scarce resources rather then expect increased services.

Also, in COPS, ordinary citizens identify the problems and cooperate in

preparing appropriate response. This process often reveals that the
community views social and physical disorder as higher priorities than crime.
Because they are involved in setting priorities, they are more willing to
cooperate in finding solutions.

Within the police station, COPS will have a greater impact than PCR. In
PCR, change is limited from the top command who yield the most influence.
With COPS, change can start from the bottom. The police station benefits
from enhanced understanding about the underlying dynamics and concerns at
street level as viewed by ordinary citizens and community policemen when
this information reaches the chief and superior officers, it allows them to
balance the needs of powerful special interest groups with the needs of many
who might otherwise be ignored. The chief of police sees a broader picture
and become an advocate for the effective delivery of both la\v enforcement
and social services in the jurisdiction.

COPS most directly addresses the need to restructure and refocus

officer selection, training, evaluation, and promotion. As the Year 2000 nears,
COPS is seen as the wave of the future because it delivers realistic services
and challenges the community to do its share. Trojanowicz (1990) said that
the ultimate challenge "will be to drop the "community" from community
policing, as everyone recognizes that it is synonymous with quality policing.
As the people continue to strive for excellence, community policing is rapidly
becoming the standard by which all departments will be judged."
 Chapter 2

PLANNING FOR COPS: THE PROBLEM-ORIENTED APPROACH

Introduction

The problem-oriented approach is explained best by its major

proponent, Professor Herman Goldstein. This chapter summarizes his
approach to improve policing.

The problem-oriented approach to policing is a thought process for

defining problems. The process is logical, sound, and realistic. It is nothing
more than a careful and thorough examination of the facts in order to
determine a problem's true cause. Once the variety of factors contributing to a
problem is identified, an equally varied sequence of solutions begin to
emerge.

COPS applies the problem-oriented approach to identify and resolve

problems of community based fear and disorder. This approach takes COPS
beyond the traditional concerns of a police station, and even beyond the
traditional concerns of the criminal justice itself. COPS' effectiveness, in fact,
derives from the pure provision of service to the community, not just police
response.

Goldstein asserts that the police have been particularly susceptible to

the "means over ends" syndrome, placing more emphasis in their
improvement efforts on organization and operational methods tlian on the
substantive outcome of their work. More and more persons are questioning
the widely held assumption that improvements in the internal management of
the police organization will enable the police to deal more effectively with the
problems they are called upon to handle. If the police are to realize a greater
return on the investment made in improving their operations, and if they are to
mature as a profession, they must concern themselves more directly with the
end product of their efforts.

Meeting this need requires that the police develop a more systematic
process for examining and addressing the problems that the public expects
them to handle. It requires identifying these problems in more precise terms,
researching each problem, documenting the nature of the current police
response, assessing its adequacy and the adequacy of existing authority and
resources, engaging in a board exploration of alternatives to present
responses, weighing the merits of these alternatives,. and choosing from
among them. Improvements in staffing, organization, and management
remain important, but they should be achieved within the context of a more
direct concern with the outcome of policing. One phenomenon is apparent.
The police bureaucracy becomes to preoccupied with running the
organizations and getting so involved in the methods of operations that it
loses sight of the primary purposes for which it was created.

Efforts 10 improve policing concentrated almost exclusively on internal

management: streamlining the organization, upgrading personnel,
modernizing equipment, and establishing more businesslike operating
procedures. Even the forerunners in the policing field stressed the need to
improve the organization and management of police agencies. Indeed, the
emphasis on internal management was so strong that professional policing
was defined primarily as the application of modern management concepts to
the running of a police organization.

The sharp increase in the demands on the police led to assessments of

the state of policing. The published findings contained some criticism of the
professional model of police organization, primarily because of its impersonal
character and failure to respond to legitimate pressures from within the
community. Many recommendations were made for introducing a greater
concern for the human factors in policing, but the ,vast majority of the
recommendations that emerged from the reassessments demonstrated a
continuing belief that the way to improve the police was to improve the
organization. Higher recruitment standards, college education for police
personnel, reassignment and reallocation of personnel, additional training,
and greater mobility were proposed. Thus the management-dominated
concept of police reform spread and gained greater stature. What is ironic is
that administrators of police organizations that have succeeded in developing
a high level of operating efficiency have not gone forward in addressing the
real problems the police are called upon to handle.

Foundation for Problem-Oriented Approach

The police seem to have reached a plateau at which the highest

objective to which they aspire is administrative competence. And. With some
scattered exceptions, they seem reluctant to move beyond this plateau -
toward creating a more systematic concern for the end product of their efforts.
But strong pressures generated by several new developments may now force
them to do so.

Research Findings. Recently completed research in the international

scale questions the value of the major aspects of police operations -
preventive patrol and crime investigations. Some police administrators have
challenged the findings; others are awaiting the results of replication. But
those who concur with the results have begun to research for alternatives,
aware of the need to measure the effectiveness of a new response before
substantial investments are made.

Growth of a Consumer Orientation. Policing has not yet felt the full
impact of consumer advocacy. As citizens press for improvement in police
service, improvement will increasingly be measured in terms of results. Those
concerned about rape, for example, could not care less whether the police
who respond to such calls operate with one or two personnel in a car, whether
the policemen are short or tall, or whether they have a college education.
Their attention is on what police do for the victim..

Questioning the Effectiveness of the Best-Managed Agencies. A

number of police stations have carried out most, if not all, of the numerous
recommendations for strengthening a police organizations and enjoy a
national reputation for their efficiency, their high standard of personnel
selection and training, and their application of modern technology to their
operations. Nevertheless, their communities apparently continue to have
same problems as do others with less advanced police organizations.

Increased Resistance to Organizational Change. Intended

improvements that are primarily in the form of organizational change almost
invariably run into resistance from rank-and-file personnel. Because the costs
in terms of disruption and discontent are so great, police administrators
initiating change will be under increasing pressure to demonstrate in advance
that their efforts will result to quality policing.

The Nature of Police Problem

Problems as defined by Goldstein, mean troublesome situations that

prompt citizens to turn to the police, such as holdups, residential thieveries,
battered wives, vandalism, speeding cars, street children, accidents, acts of
terrorism, even fear. These and other similar problems are the essence of
police work. They are the reason for having a police agency.

Problems of this nature are to be distinguished from those that

frequently occupy police administrators, such as lack of manpower,
inadequate supervision or inadequate training. They differ from those often
identified by operating personnel, such as lack of inadequate equipment,
frustrations in the prosecution of criminal cases, or inequities in working
conditions. And they differ, too, from the problems that have occupied those
advocating police reform, such as the multiplicity of police agencies or the
absence of effective controls over police conduct.

Many of the problems coming to the attention of the police become

their responsibility because no other means has been found to solve them.
They are the residual problems of society. It follows that expecting the police
to solve or eliminate them is expecting too much. It is more realistic to aim at
reducing their volume, preventing repetition, alleviating suffering, and
minimizing the other adverse effects they produce.

Developing the Overall Approach

To address the substantive problems of the police requires developing

a commitment to a more systematic process for looking into these problems.
Initially, this calls for identifying in precise terms the problems that citizens
look to the police to handle. Once identified, each problem must be explored
in great detail. What do we know about the problems. Has it been
researched? If so, with what result? What more should we know? Is it proper
concern of government? What authority and resources are available for
dealing with it7 What is the current police response? What factors should be
considered in choosing from among alternatives? If a new response is
adopted, how does one go about evaluating its effectiveness? And finally,
what changes. If any, does implementation of a more effective response
require in the police organization?

This type of inquiry is not foreign to the police. Many police

organizations conduct rigorous studies of administrative and operational
problems. A police station may undertake a detailed study of the relative
merits of adopting a project. And it may regularly develop plans for handling
special situations that require assignment of personnel. However systematic
analysis and planning have rarely been applied to the Specific behavioral and
social problems that constitute the police function.
Defining Problems with Greater Specifically. The importance of defining
problems more precisely becomes visible when one reflects on the practice of
using broad categories to describe police job. Attacking police problems under
a general category as "crime" or "disorder," "delinquency," or even "violence" -
is bound to be futile. While the police job is often subdivided by means of the
labels tied to the criminal code, such as robbery and theft, these are not
adequate, for several reasons.
First, they frequently mask diverse forms of behavior. Thus, for
example, incidents classified under "arson" might include fires set by
teenagers as a form of vandalism, fires set by persons suffering from severe
psychological problems, fires set for the purpose of destroying evidence of a
crime, fires set by persons or their hired agents to collect insurance, and fires
set by organized criminal interests to intimidate. Each type of incident poses a
radically different problem for the police.

Second, if the police depend heavily on categories of criminal offenses

to define problems of concern to them. others may be misled to believe that, if
a given form of behavior is not criminal, it is of no concern to the police. The
problem is a problem for the police whether or not it is defined as a criminal
offense.

Finally, use of offense categories as descriptive of police problems

implies that the police role is restricted to arresting and prosecuting offenders.
In fact, the police job is much broader as in the case of robbery, to encourage
residents to secure their premises, to eliminate some of the conditions that
might attract potential thieves, to counsel victims of crime on ways they can
avoid similar attacks in the future, and to recover and return stolen property.

Until recently, the police role in regard to the crime of rape was
perceived primarily as responding quickly when a report of a rape was
received, determining whether a rape had really occurred and attempting to
identify and apprehend the perpetrator. Today, the police role has been
radically redefined to include teaching women how to avoid attack, organizing
programs to provide safe movements in areas where there is a high risk of
attack and perhaps, most important providing needed care and support to the
rape victim to minimize the physical and mental damage resulting from such
an attack. Police are now concerned with sexual assault not simply because
they have a direct role in the arrest and prosecution of violators, but also
because sexual assault is a community problem which the police and others
can affect in a variety of ways.

It is desirable in the development of problem-solving approach to

improved policing to press for a detailed breakdown of problem as possible. In
addition to categorizing different forms of behavior and its concomitant
motivation, it is helpful to be much more precise regarding the locale and time
of day, the type of people involved, and the type of people victimized.
Different combination of these variables may present different problems,
posing different policy questions and calling for radically different solutions.
In the analysis of a given problem, one may find, for example, that the
concern of the citizenry is primarily fear of attack, but the fear is not
warranted, given the pattern of actual offense. Where this situation becomes
apparent, the police have to deal more effectively with the actual incidents
where they occur, and to respond to the groundless fears. Each calls for
different response. One major value of problem specification is that it gives
visibility to some problems that warrant more careful attention.

Researching the Problems. Without a tradition for viewing-in the

various problems making up the police job, gathering even the most basic
information about a specific problem can :be extremely difficult-
First, the magnitude of the problem and the various forms in which it
surfaces must be established. One is inclined to turn initially to police reports
for such information. But overgeneralization in categorizing incidents, the
impossibility of separating some problems, variations in the reporting
practices of the community, and inadequacies in report writing seriously limit
their value for purposes of obtaining a full picture of the problem. However if
used cautiously, some of the information in police files may be helpful. Police
stations routinely collect and store large amounts of data, even though they
may not use them to evaluate the effectiveness of their responses. Moreover,
if needed information is not available, often it can be collected expeditious! v
in a well-managed police unit, owing to the high degree of centralized control
of field operations.

How does one discover the nature of the current police response'7
Administrators and their immediate subordinates are not good sources.
Naturally, they have a desire to provide an answer that reflects well on the
police, is consistent with legal requirements, and meets expectations of both
the public and other agencies that might have a responsibility for the problem.
Likewise, police administrators are often so distant from field operations that
they would have great difficulty in describing police responses accurately.

Inquiry, then must focus on the operational level. One must consider
the individual practices of policemen and the vast amount of knowledge they
acquire about the situation they handle. Taken together, these are extremely
rich resource that is often overlooked by those concerned about improving the
quality of police services. Serious research into the problems police handle
requires observing policemen over a period of time. This means
accompanying them as they perform their regular assignments and cultivating
the kind of relationship that enables them to talk candidly about the way in
which they handle specific aspects of their job.

Considerable knowledge about some of the problems with which the

police struggle has been generated outside police agencies by researchers.
But the police have not employed these studies because they have not
expected to address specific problems in a systematic manner. If the police
were pressured to examine in great detail the problems they are expected to
handle, a review of the literature would become routine. If convinced that
research findings had practical value, police administrators could contribute to
upgrading the quality and usefulness of future research efforts in policing.

Exploring Alternatives. After the information about a specific problem is

analyzed, a search should be made for alternative response to improve what
is currently being done. This is made so that the problem will be better defined
and understood and the commitment to past approaches will be fine-tuned.
The search for alternatives should be much broader, extending beyond the
realm of policing.

However, experience showed that those inclined to improve the

operations of the criminal justice system and the operational efficiency of
police recommend that the problem simply be shifted to other agencies who
are better equipped to handle the problem. But the mere shifting of
responsibility for the problem, without assurance that more adequate
provisions have been made for dealing with it, achieves nothing.

The search for alternatives obviously need not start from scratch.
There is much to build on. Crime prevention efforts of the police should be
reassessed as to their impact on specific problems and those that appear to
have the greatest potential should be explored for each problem. Consider the
following foundations.

Physical and Technical Changes. Can the problem be reduced or

eliminated through physical or technical changes? Efforts have already been
introduced to reduce through environmental design, factors that contribute to
deviant behavior that requires police action.

What additional physical or technical changes should be made that

would have an effect on the problem? Should such changes be mandatory, or
can they be voluntary? What incentives might be offered to encourage their
implementation?

Changes in the Provision of Government Services. Can the problem be

alleviated by changes in other government services'7 Some of the problems
the police handle originate in the policies, operating practices, and
inadequacies of other public agencies the scattering of garbage because of
delays in collection, poor housing conditions because of lax enforcement, the
interference with traffic by children playing because they have not been
provided with adequate playground facilities. Most police agencies developed
procedures to relay such conditions to the appropriate government service.
But relatively few police agencies see their role as pressing for changes in
policies and operations that would eliminate the recurrence of the same
problems. Yet the police are the only people who see and who must become
responsible for the collective negative consequences for such policies.

Converted Reliable Information. What many people want when they

turn to the police with their problems, is simply reliable information. Even if
citizens do not ask specific questions, the best response the police can make
to many request for help is to provide accurate, concise information.

Developing New Skills among Police Officers. The greatest potential

for improvement in the handling of some problems is by providing police
officers with new forms of specialized training. Against the background of
recent developments, one should ask whether specialized training can bring
about needed improvement in the handling of each specific problem.

New Forms of Authority. Do the police need a specific limited form of

authority which they do not now have'7 Police are called upon to resolve
common problems but their authority is questionable unless the behavior
constitutes a criminal offense and even then, it may not be desirable to
prosecute the offender,

Developing New Community Resource. Analysis of a problem may

lead to the conclusion that assistance is needed from another government
agency. But often the problem is not clearly within the province of an existing
agency, or the agency may be unaware of the problem or if aware, without the
resources to do anything about it. In such cases, since the problem is likely to
be of little concern to the community as a whole, it will probably remain the
responsibility of the police, unless themselves take the initiative, as a sort of
community agent, in getting others to address it.

The pattern of creating new services that bear a relationship with police
operations is now well established, and one would expect that problem-
oriented policing will lead to more services in greater variety.

Increased Regulation. Can the problem be handled through a

tightening of regulatory codes

Increase Use of Local Ordinances. Does the problem call for some
community sanction less drastic than a criminal sanction

Use of Zoning. Most policing involves resolving disputes between those

who have competing interests in the use of a given area. Conflicts in land can
be resolved by zoning. Zoning has been used by a number of LGUs to confine
beerhouses in a specific area. However, experimentation is needed before
any judgment can be made as to the value of zoning.

Implementing the Process

 A fully developed process for systematically addressing the problems
that make up police business would call for more than the three steps just
explored - defining the problem, researching it, and exploring alternatives. The
focus is on these three because describing them may be the most effective
way of communicating the nature of a problem-oriented approach to
improving police service. A number of intervening steps are required to fill out
the process: methods for evaluating the effectiveness of current responses,
procedures for choosing from among available alternatives, means of
involving the community in the, decision making, procedures for obtaining the
approval of the local executives to whom the police are formally accountable,
methods for obtaining any additional funding that may be necessary,
adjustments in the organization and staffing of the police station that may be
required to implement the agreed-upon change, and methods for evaluating
the effectiveness of the change.

How does a police agency make the shift to problem oriented policing?
Ideally the initiative will come from police administrators. What is needed is
not a single decision implementing a specific program or a single
memorandum announcing a unique way of running the organization. The
concepts represents a new way of looking at the process of improving police
Functioning. Once introduced, tills orientation would affect subordinate,
gradually filter trough the rest of the organization, and reach other
administrators and agencies as well.

Success will depend heavily on the use of planning staff for systematic
analysis of substantive problems requires developing a capacity within the
organization to collect and analyze data and to conduct evaluation of the
effectiveness of police operation.

Effect on the Organization

In the context of this realigning of police priorities, efforts to improve the

staffing, management, and procedures of police agencies must continue. The
problem-oriented approach to police improvement may actually contribute in
several important ways to achieve their objectives.

The approach calls for the police to take greater Initiative in attempting
to deal with problems rather than resign themselves to living with them. It calls
for tapping police expertise. It calls to the police to be more aggressive
partners with other agencies. These changes, which would place the police in
a much more positive light environment within the police organization. An
improved working environment increases the potential for keeping qualified
personnel and for bringing about needed organizational change.

Focusing on problems, because it is practical and concrete approach,

is attractive to both citizens and the police. By contrast, some of the most
frequent proposals for improving police operations, because they do not
produce immediate and specifically identifiable results, have no such
attraction. A problem-oriented approach, with its greater appeal, has potential
for becoming a vehicle through which long-sufficient organizational change
might be more effectively and more rapidly achieved.
Advocated change in the structure and operations of the police
organization have been achieved because of concentrated concern with a
given problem. Probably the support for any of these changes could not have
been generated without the problem- oriented context in which they have
been advocated.
An important factor contributing to these successes is that a problem-
oriented approach to improvement is less likely to be seen as a direct
challenge to the police establishment and the prevailing police value system.
As a consequence, rank-and- file personnel do not resist and subvert the
resulting changes. Police officers are much more likely to support an
innovation that is cast in the form of a new response to an old problem - a
problem with which they have struggled for many years and which they would
like to see handled more effectively. It may be that addressing the quality of
the police product will turn to be the most effective way of achieving the
objectives that have for so long been the goal of police reforms.

Problem-Oriented Policing: Sara JM odd

The problem-solving approach to policing represents a significant

evolutionary Step in helping law enforcement to work "smarter, not harder".
Rather than approaching calls for help or service as separate, individual
events to be processed by traditional methods, problem-oriented policing
emphasizes analyzing groups of incidents and driving solutions that draw
upon a wide variety of public and private resources. (Stcwart, 1987) Careful
follow-up and assessment of police performance in dealing with (lie problem
completes the systematic process.

But problem-oriented policing is as much a philosophy of policing as a

set of techniques and procedures. The approach can be applied to whatever
type of problem is consuming police time and resources.

While many problems are likely to be crime-oriented, disorderly

behavior, situations that contribute to neighborhood deterioration, and other
incidents that contribute to fear and insecurity in the neighborhoods are also
targets for the problem-solving.

Problem-oriented policing integrates knowledge from past research on

police operations that has converged on these main themes increase
operational effectiveness by attacking underlying problems that give rise to
incidents that consume patrol and detective time; reliance on the expertise
and creativity of line officers to study problems carefully and develop
innovative solutions; and closer involvement with the community to make sure
that the police are addressing the needs of the citizens. Problem-oriented
policing suggests that police can realize a new dimension of effectiveness. By
coordinating a wide range of information, police administrators are in unique
leadership position in their communities, helping to improve the quality of
life for the citizens they serve. The strategy consists of four parts.
1. Scanning. Instead of relying upon broad, law-related concepts, policemen
are encouraged to group individual related incidents that come to their
attention as "problems" and define these problems in more precise and useful
terms.

2. Analysis. Policemen working on a well-defined "problem" then collect

information from a variety of public arid private sources - not just police data.
They use the information to illuminate the underlying nature of the problem,
suggesting its causes and a variety of options for its resolution.

3. Response. Working with citizens, businesses, and public and private

agencies, policemen tailor a program of action suitable to the characteristics
of the problem. Solutions may go beyond traditional criminal justice system
remedies to include other community agencies or organizations.

4. Assessment. Finally, the policemen evaluate the impact of these efforts to

see if the problem were actually alleviated.

The SARA Model as problem-solving approach was tested by the

National Institute of Justice and the Police Executive Research Forum when
they sponsored the Problem-Oriented Policing Project at Newport News
(Virginia, USA) Police Department. The results of the project were
encouraging. (Spelman and Eck, 1987)

Tile Problem-Solving Process: SARA Model

Scanning

Analysis

Response

Assessment

Under the traditional incident-driven policing, police stations typically

deliver service by reacting to individual events reported by citizens; gathering
information from victims, witnesses, and offenders; invoking the criminal
justice process; and using aggregate crime statistics to evaluate performance.

No police station operates solely in this reactive fashion but all do it 10

some extent all the time. The way it was tested at Newport News illustrates
how problem-oriented policing minimizes the limitations of traditional concepts
in the conduct of police work.
 The focus on underlying causes - problems - is not new. Many
policemen do it from time to time. The new approach, however, requires all
officers to implement problem-solving techniques on a regular basis.

Problem-oriented policing pushes beyond the limits of the usual police

methods. The keystone of the approach is the "crime analysis guide." The
checklist includes many of the usual factors familiar to police investigators -
actors, locations, motives. But it goes further, prompting policemen to ask far
more questions than usual and in a more logical sequence. The results give a
more comprehensive picture of a problem.

The process also requires policemen to collect information from a wide

variety of sources beyond the police station and enlist support from
community and private organizations and groups - initially to describe the
problem and later to fashion solutions
that meet public needs as well as those of the criminal justice system.

The experimental approach to problem-oriented policing follows four

basic principles:

Participation. Policemen of all ranks, from all units, should be able to use the
procedures as part of their daily routine.

Information. The system must encourage use of a broad range of information

not limited to conventional police data.

Response. The system should encourage a broad range of solutions not

limited to the criminal justice process.

Reproductibility. The system must be one that any police station could apply.

As stated above, the process has four stages. Police officers identify
problems during the scanning stage, collect and analyze information during
the analysis stage, work with other agencies and the public to develop and
implement solutions in the response stage, and evaluate their effectiveness in
the assessment stage. The results of the assessment may be used to revise
the response, collect more data, or even redefine the problem.

The heart of the process is the analysis stage. A problem analysis

model was designed, breaking the events that constitute a problem into three
components - actors, incidents, and responses - with a checklist of issues that
policemen should consider when they study the problem.

The Problem Analysis Model

Actors Incidents Responses

Victims Sequence of events Community

Lifestyle Events preceding act Neighborhood affected
Security measures Event itself by problem
taken Events following City as a whole
Victimization history criminal act People outside the city
Offenders Physical contact Institutional
Identity and physical Time Criminal justice
description Location agencies
Lifestyle, cducntion. Access control and Other public agencies
employment history surveillance Mass media
Criminal history Social context Business sector
Tliird panics Likelihood ;iiid probable
Personal data
Connection to victimiza- actions of witnesses
tion Apparent altitude of
residents toward
neighborhood

All policemen should be trained in the model, the use of the systematic
process, and the research background. The training should also emphasize
encouraging police initiative in uncovering problems, collecting information,
and developing responses. Policemen throughout the police station then
begin to apply the process.

Problem-oriented policing helps to ensure that police respond to a wide

variety of problems affecting the quality of life, not just crime. It lets line
officers use their experience and knowledge to improve the communities thev
serve.

Police stations that adopt and refine this approach will continue to
respond to specific criminal events. But they will go beyond this step,
preventing future incidents by solving the problems that would otherwise lead
to crime and disorder.

The problem-oriented police station thus will be able to take the

initiative in working with other agencies on community problems when these
problems touch on police responsibilities. Such a police station can make
more efficient use of its resources when it needs fewer policemen to patrol the
neighborhood. This police station will be more responsive to community
needs, enjoying better public relations when citizens see the police
demonstrating concern for their day-to-day needs. The result will be a more
effective response to crime and other troubling conditions in the
neighborhoods.
 Chapter3
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES FOR COPS

Introduction

While COPS had been introduced as pan of the PNP National Strategic
Action Plan, only a handful of police stations have actually applied the
concept. Some may claim to have implemented COPS, but expected changes
in their organizations are not visible. Police personnel may think they know
the meaning of COPS, yet they have attached various interpretations to it.
Inkster (1991) commented that "the essence of community-based policing still
eludes some of us and many of our efforts do not yield results because we
have not properly understood the concept we are trying to apply."

Just like in other organizations, change in the police organization is

difficult. It is hard to break traditional patterns of rationalizing and doing things.
But why the need for change? Because police service is at the crossroads.
Society and the environment are becoming diverse and complex. Demands
are placed upon the police to align their thoughts and actions with the
continuing changes and development in order to survive and deal with
reforms and innovations.

Likewise, values change as an offshoot of complexities. Modern

society is knowledge- and information-based. Technological knowledge is a
requisite to routine organizational and individual functioning and lack of it
leaves many to powerlessness.

Changing society demands that the policeman be educated, thoughtful,

articulate, culturally sensitive and knowledgeable in several disciplines.
Policemen must act from a base of knowledge about their profession, about
the cultural values of the community in which they work, about people
individually and collectively, and about the larger world in which they live. This
will enable them to communicate and understand the people they serve.

In this context, policemen are expected to consult with the people on

the planning and mode of service delivery. They will also have to give priority
to the alleviation of human problems than on crime control in order to lessen
the burden of social unrest. .

Return to the Basic: Peel's Principles

Peel's principles relate police service to public acceptance rather than

to regulations. The principles taken as a whole emphasized the responsibility
of the community to manage its own affairs, the dependence of the police on
the community for their legitimacy, and the police objective to enhance the
well-being of the community. Inkster (1991) emphasized that Peel's principles
summarized below are in fact, the essence or COPS.

• The duty of the police is to prevent crime and disorder.

• The power of the police to fulfill their duties is dependent on public approval
and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect.
• Public respect and approval also mean the willing cooperation of the public
in the task of securing observance of the law.
• The police must seek and preserve' public favor not by pandering to public
opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolutely impartial service to law.
• The police should strive to maintain at all times a relationship with the public
that gives reality to the tradition that the police are the public and the public
are the police.
• The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the
visible evidence of police action in dealing with these problems.

What is needed towards the direction of COPS is a flattening of the

organizational structure and a delegation of work and decision-making
authority. If a police station is to provide COPS, its personnel must be out in
the community and the lines of communication between the community
policeman and chief of police must be as short as is reasonably possible.
Before organizational flattening can start, personnel have to appreciate the
meaning of COPS. In other words, there must be reeducation as well as
reorganization. (Inkster, 1991)

The Solicitor General of Canada, in promoting a national strategy for meeting

The policing challenge of the future, prescribed these operational standards
for COPS which are also relevant in the Philippine setting.

• Police officers are peace officers rather than merely law enforcement officers
involved in crime control.
• Policing is founded on partnership with the community.
• Proactive policing identifies local crime and disorder problems.
• Crime and disorder problems are addressed by problem-oriented policing.
• The underlying causes of crime require a broad response.
• There is interagency cooperation for problem solving.
• Police officers are interactive information managers exchanging information
with the community.
• Tactics are developed to reduce the unfounded fear of being victimized.
• Police can be generalists rather than specialists.
• Police officers have responsibility and autonomy for solving problems at the
community level.
• The structure of a police organization is flattened to emphasize the
operational level.
• There is accountability to the community for the achievement of priorities
identified by the community.

Many police executives are interested to implement the concept of

COPS within their jurisdiction . They may have realized that COPS is a
philosophy and an organizational strategy and not merely a new program, or
they have understood that to solve existing problems in an innovative way, the
police must involve the citizens in the process of policing themselves.

The Need for Change

 Police stations who .lend themselves to COPS concept are more
receptive to innovation than traditional organizations with autocratic
structures. Therefore, police stations interested in community policing must
first consider changes to reshape their internal organizations and consider the
benefits that can be realized from a change in philosophy toward a new
partnership with the community. (Fox, 1992)

Initially, the chief of police and his staff should examine their
approaches to internal problem solving. This requires these officers to make
difficult decisions to change the routine. Those affected may feel that these
changes are too drastic. This may result to some disagreement, but COPS'
requires that partnership and collaboration must begin within the organization.

This does not imply that lines of authority cannot exist. A lot of
organizational scenes need to be handled according to regulations and
control processes. It does imply that organization wide decision making or
problem solving propels changes on the day to day routine.

However, not all organizational components must change. What is

needed is creativity and imagination in the innovation process. The
organization already provides solid foundation where the police can build
COPS as a new philosophy and strategy.

COPS philosophy requires that police officers make certain definite

changes within the organization. These changes provide for a smooth
transition to the COPS concept.

There must be a redefinition of the police role in their community. In

some cases, this may be the first time police administrators give specific
thought to the role of the police within their communities. It is important, that
the police work as partners with the citizens they serve to sol'-'e problems that
relate 10 the quality of life, as opposed to simply enforcing the law.

Once the police role is denned, officers should be trained on the

principles and philosophy of COPS. Police officers can take a hands on
approach to the training in an atmosphere more conducive to good
communication and understanding.

Police administrators must evaluate community policemen differently

than those who work in more traditional police environments. For example, in
addition to productivity, the evaluation should include credit for creativity. The
officers should show a firm commitment to solve problems in innovative ways.
Police supervisors, on the other hand, should make all community policemen
aware of how they rate certain elements of the job. They need to meet with
community policemen on a regular basis to discuss improvement in any
particular areas.

In order to give community policemen some sense of personal

responsibility, the police chief should assign them to a particular beat. Areas
should be strategically divided so as to preserve the unique identity of specific
neighborhoods. Mixing of different types of neighborhoods together in the
same area of responsibility should be avoided.

Assigning beats may pose a special challenge to police stations that

are generally fortunate just to have enough officers to provide necessary
services and to handle calls. As a possible solution to this problem, police
stations should attempt to identify areas where the responsible community
policemen could not make personal contacts to identify specific problems and
possible solutions, even though they must also answer calls for service,
throughout a larger area.

This method of policing develops a sense of ownership of particular

geographic areas, and it allows the policemen to look seriously at the
problems that occur in "their" areas. It allows one or two policemen to work
more closely with the community to solve problems.

Police stations may have to evaluate and prioritize the calls that require
a police response and ease the community into assuming more of the
responsibility for resolving problems. Small police stations benefit greatly from
this system of prioritizing calls, in as much as they have fewer policemen to
respond to calls.

COPS requires that police stations tailor their work to the particular
needs of the community. Therefore, police administrators should assess the
need of the station in relation to the needs of the community.

In order to do this successfully, police administrators must seek

legitimate citizen input. Policemen assigned to operational job should work
with citizens and businessmen in both neighborhoods and business districts
to build revitalize working relationships, and police administrators can parallel
the more accessible police/ neighbor relationship with a more visible role as
community leaders.

In addition to the concrete changes that police administrators should

make, there are other possible ways to enhance the success of COPS. They
must lead the change toward COPS. Subordinates must see that leaders
have the commitment and the willingness to take risks in order to provide
quality policing.

They must also use their positions of leadership to promote new

relationships with the communities they serve.

The police can quickly institute complex programs, but the change to a
new philosophy of policing requires more time. It takes time for the policemen
to view the community as a partner and to develop ways to act out the
partnership.

One way police administrators can move gradually toward a COPS

policy is to first institute problem oriented policing Essentially, problem-
oriented policing asks policemen to think independently to look for underlying
dynamics behind a series of incidents, rather than focus on the individual
occurrences," POP does not require the depth of police/community
partnership or substantive structural changes in the police station to function
effectively.

Police stations implementing COPS should adopt a clear mission

statement that reflects a police-community partnership. The mission
statement sends the message to police officers that the police station is
serious in its COPS effort.

The success of COPS depends greatly on the acceptance of the

mission statement by the entire organization. Policemen who see the positive
results of the program may adapt easily to the philosophy. However, some
policemen may believe that COPS and social work are much the same.

COPS requires changes in long-established norms and generally

requires a more emotional and cognitive commitment by policemen to work
with the community. When a problem of acceptance exists, management
should involve the policemen in the change process. They should have
decision making power and the freedom to learn from their mistakes. They
should also receive credit for good work and creativity, and constant
encouragement.

Police officers should assess the needs of the communities thev serve
so that they can efficiently plan their COPS strategies. One method of doing
this involves the development and use of a community analysis worksheet.
This worksheet should track the general demographic, socio-economic, and
institutional characteristics of a community. It will also help police analysts to
examine crime-related social conditions.

COPS produces a new vitality and deeper fulfillment in police'

relationship with the public, emphasizing a partnerships. I: eliminates
adversarial relationships between the two. However, police officers who look
at COPS merely as a handy program to increase their popularity with the
public are not looking at the risks or the long-term commitment necessary to
make COPS work. The positive feedback and improved public relations that
result from the program should not be the priority goals. Partnerships and
problem solving are the major priorities.

COPS offers a concept that emphasizes the police as part of the

community. Police station who adopt COPS as a binding philosophy and
strategy respond positively to the needs of the communities they serve, and
they help to restore the quality of life. Yet, they do not surrender the crime
investigation and other law enforcement functions.

Police officers should assess the needs of the communities they serve
so that they can efficiently plan their COPS strategies. 'One method of doing
this involves the development and use of a community analysis worksheet.
This worksheet should track the general demographic, socio-economic, and
institutional characteristics of a community. It will also help police analysts to
examine crime-related social conditions.

COPS produces a new vitality and deeper fulfillment in police'

relationship with the public, emphasizing a partnerships. It eliminates
adversarial relationships between the two. However, police officers who look
at COPS merely as a handy program to increase their popularity with the
public are not looking at the risks or the long-term commitment necessary to
make COPS work. The positive feedback and improved public relations that
result from the program should not be the priority goals. Partnerships and
problem solving are the major priorities.

COPS offers a concept that emphasizes the police as part of the

community. Police station who adopt COPS as a binding philosophy and
strategy respond positively to the needs of the communities they serve, and
they help to restore the quality of life. Yet, they do not surrender the crime
investigation and other law enforcement functions.
 Chapter 4

IMPLEMENTING COPS

Introduction

For an institution as large as the Philippine National Police, the change

from the incident-driven response policing to COPS requires a fundamental
systemic change.
It requires change in policing style, from one which the police respond
anonymously from incident to incident, to one which they get out in the
communities and become problem solvers in the neighborhoods they serve.

Everyone in the police organization is expected to support community

policemen and to engage in problem-solving efforts themselves. By the time
COPS is fully implemented, each street or group of streets in every
neighborhood will be the responsibility of an officer or group of officers,
making them and their supervisors officers accountable for what transpires
there.

COPS is defined as a working partnership between police and the law-

abiding public to prevent crime, arrest offenders, find solutions to problems
and enhance the quality of life. To inculcate the philosophy of community
policing throughout the police organization means systemic change. It means
recruiting young men and women who are interested more in service than
they are in adventure. (Brown, 1992)

For policemen already on the job, COPS requires adaptation and

training. Institutionally, it means evaluating and rewarding people differently.

Strategies

Traditionally, police effectiveness are measured in narrow terms such

as rapid response times, arrest-to-complaint ratios, clearance rates and the
like. However, these traditional measurements do not give us a complete or
accurate picture of police effectiveness. There are numerous elements
beyond the control of the police such as education deficiencies, economic
conditions and family disintegration.

While the traditional measures concerning crime do not give a

complete picture, they can provide a backdrop in the implementation of
COPS. While crime and crime prevention remain as priorities, reducing the
fear of crime and restoring a sense of security within neighborhoods are
important objectives of COPS as well.

Increased visibility of policemen, increased access to them by people

in the neighborhood, and the increase predictability of policemen on specific
beats are all being used to reduce fear and increase a sense of neighborhood
security.
 In the implementation cf strategies COPS. there is need to establish
neighborhood management teams composed of neighborhood residents and
the police to identify problems, set priorities, recommend action, and evaluate
the results of problem-solving strategies.

In identifying problems and setting priorities for corrective action, the

neighborhood management team works with reports from individual
policemen comments by supervisors, issues raised by the community, and
information that arises from the meeting of the neighborhood management
team itself.

Once the problems have been identified, the community policemen,

working with the management team develops strategies to attack the
problems. The team then regroups to measure the effectiveness of the
strategies used.

One way to determine success is to document whether complaints

about the location continue. Others include observations by community
policemen and affected residents. Once a problem is evaluated as either
"corrected" or “significantly improved," the community policemen, working with
his management team replaces it with another problem from the list of
priorities. The process continues month after month, year-m and year-out.

By the end of the initial phase of implementation, the community

policemen is expected to have intervention plans for at least five major
problems identified jointly by the police and the community. Other police
officers will assist in getting internal and external support where appropriate -
to Implement the problem-solving strategy. Reports containing evaluations of
problem-solving efforts will be submitted to the chief of police or immediate
supervisors

One innovation to support COPS is to require policemen and

supervisors assigned / to desk jobs to return to uniformed patrol duties an
average of once a week. Another is to steadily increase the number of
policemen assigned to permanent foot patrol beats.

There is a need to define foot patrol beats in every locality. Policemen

assigned to mobile units will be assigned steadily to the same sector.
Specialized functions, such as crime scene investigation, warrants, crime
prevention and traffic safety, will be performed by foot patrolman. Plainclothes
policemen will be assigned to geographic zones within their precincts.

Although COPS requires some innovative ways of measuring

effectiveness, traditional measures-patrol strength, crime rate, arrests,
warrants, traffic accidents and reaction times are also useful, provided they
are employed in ways suited to COPS goals.

The objectives and goals of COPS fear reduction, heightened

community involvement, enhanced quality of life-do not lend themselves as
readily to traditional measurements, for some people. For example, the simple
act of going out to the corner store at night may be postponed until morning
because of the fear of crime. That kind of paralyzing fear can become so
familiar that it is no longer recognized as fear, but simply caution. That is
clear-out evidence of an erosion in the quality of neighborhood life.

How do the police know if they have successfully addressed that fear?
If people who once stayed in their homes begin to come out at night, and this
nighttime activity become common, this may be a measurement of fear
reduction. Surveys can be developed to measure these and oilier less-
traditional indicators. Similar measures may be taken to gauge community
involvement in meetings or participation in neighborhood watch, the police
auxiliary (Tanod) and police- community programs and projects.

Police administrators must conduct follow-up interviews to determine

whether people who recently called (lie police were satisfied with the service
they received. They can ask questions as : Did the police respond in a
reasonable amount of time? Were you treated courteously and
professionally'^ What was the outcome? Was your concern handled to your
satisfaction0 As the project is refined, community surveys will become a
formal management tools of the police.

Quality of service at the station headquarters must also be examined,

especially noting how telephone inquiries are being handled, as well as how
individuals who have problems are treated. These reviews will be used to
gauge public satisfaction with police service.

One of the central objectives of COPS is to end the cycle of responding

to the same locations to handle the same or similar complaints, instead, to
address the underlying problem that produces the repeated complaints. Of
course, strategies will vary from location to location.

Before police stations can successfully implement community-oriented

policing. administrators must lay a foundation by ensuring that a high level of
police credibility exists within the community. To accomplish this. all police
response to community needs-whether reactive or proactive-must meet the
most stringent standards of discipline and professionalism. Police
administrators can ensure that their policemen respond in this manner
through careful personnel selection and training, especially in the area of
police discretion. (Walters. 1993)

When policemen continually conduct their duties in a highly

professional manner, police administrators can allow a wide latitude of officer
discretion. However, maintaining a wide latitude, while continuing to enjoy the
respect and cooperation of the community, requires that policemen be
personally accountable for the highest standards of professional behavior. If a
policemen fails in this regard, all will suffer the consequences of low
community confidence in the police. Citizen confidence in the police sets the
stage for instituting the police strategies inherent to COPS.
 Response to incidents requires policemen to react to crimes of
emergency incidents. In order to promote citizen confidence in the police,
policemen should swiftly respond to any such incidents and establish and
maintain control over the situation. This requires officers to respond
proactively to crime patterns.

If the police do not carefully manage the response to incident strategy,

their stations can quickly be overwhelmed by community demands. In order to
manage increased calls for police service, police administrators need to
monitor demand and then research as many creative ways as possible to
respond to these calls.

There are many ways to respond to calls for assistance that do not
require the immediate dispatching of a mobile unit or personnel of assigned to
specialized functions. Other, less expensive responses may satisfy the
request just as effectively.

Managing the limited resources of departments to respond effectively

to incidents and calls for service, while producing the greatest advantage for
their communities, requires police officials to make informed, professional
decisions. And, while managers must ensure that their policemen can
respond rapidly to incidents, they must balance their efforts with the problem-
oriented approach to policing.

Problem-oriented approach to policing discussed in Chapter 2 is the

concept that police must be more responsive to the causes of crime, rather
than merely dealing with the results of crime. Maintaining neighborhood safety
can be more beneficial to the community than merely treating isolated
neighborhood problems. This approach represents a significant shift in how
both the public and the police view the role of the police in the community.

Problem-oriented policing is a proactive, decentralized approach to

providing police services designed to reduce crime and disorder, and by
extension, the fear of crime. The police achieve this by assigning policemen to
specific neighborhoods on a long-term basis. Long-term involvement between
the officers and neighborhood residents fosters the development of credible
relationship based on mutual trust and cooperation. It also allows a high-level
exchange of information between citizens and police officers,. As well as
mutual input concerning policing priorities and tactics for specific areas of the
community.

Problem-oriented policing also distributes police services more

effectively across the community and targets high-crime areas for problem-
solving approaches that allow the police to define and deal with the causes of
crime. This helps to neutralize the undue influence of special interest groups
that can be the recipients of preferred services when no system of
community-based priorities exists.

The police can achieve a balance between response to incidents and

problem- oriented policing by applying the differential police response tactics.
This involves the analysis of demand patterns made on the police by
residents of the community. After analyzing the demand patterns, the police
then develop alternatives to traditional police responses-alternatives that
provide improved community police services at a lower cost than traditional
rapid response.

Once the police expand their range of possible responses to

community needs, a balance police administrators should allocate resources
to ensure the best and most comprehensive need to understand the approach
and act in the ways that support the police goals and priorities.

Potential Obstacles

As police administrators pursue COPS, they should also understand

that the road ahead harbors many potential obstacles. To avoid disaster,
police administrators should maintain a proper perspective concerning crime.
The administration of justice, and the potential of law enforcement impact to
criminal activity. In short, they must learn to walk the minefields of COPS.
(Joseph, 1994)

Although the arguments put forth by the proponents of the COPS

appear logical and very appealing, police administrator should exercise
caution. Given that some hail COPS as a common sense answer to rampant
crime, there should be an effort to evaluate carefully what this "new
orientation advocates. It -appears that the law - enforcement community has
made a commitment to the ideals encompassed in COPS. The real question
remains: Can the police meet this commitment and make a real difference?

The answer, actually will be determined in future evaluations of the

efforts of individual police stations. However, there exist some "realistic
implications of the COP philosophy that require immediate consideration. As
with crime prevention programs in general. COPS has a number weak areas.

Approach. The first potential weakness rests in the specific approach to

be when adopted, COPS becomes an underlying foundation of law
enforcement effort as opposed to merely a strategy that can be applied to
real-world situations within the community. But, making COPS an underlying
foundation, the police risk subordinating all prevention efforts to a single
philosophy that police organizations are responsible for solving the social
problems traditionally linked to crime. Should this philosophy prevail and
follow the same path as many previous crime prevention programs, COPS
could become a program of symbolism instead of substance.

In the past, police administrators often talked very forcefully in support

of crime prevention only to fail, for whatever reason to establish realistic, goal-
oriented management practices. These officers fell short of fully integrating
these units into the overall structure of police organizations because crime
prevention personnel worked outside the organization's operational hierarchy.
The results created the perception, especially among operational units, that
crime prevention was not "real police work."
 The risk is that a COPS effort could become simply another specialized
function within the police station from other police activities. Such an
approach almost undoubtedly would doom a police station's efforts.

Evaluation. Without question, the greatest potential problem posed by

COPS philosophy take that posed by traditional crime prevention efforts, is
the question of evaluation and accountability. What methods and measures
will be used to determine success or failure? And, will such strategies be
politically motivated or public safety- oriented?

In reality, the issue of methods and measures will take place on two
different and distinct levels. The first level is that of the police station or
organization; the second, that of the individual officer.

On the department level, evaluation efforts must be comprehensive. To

the end, police administrators should obtain citizen and police perceptions as
well as data, concerning crime rates. Depending on. an police strength and
the expertise available for such analysis, administrators may deem it more
realistic to assign the responsibility of evaluation to an outside organization,
say the POC, rather than to a component within the police station. Generally,
outside evaluation lends credibility and standardization to an analysis.

The second level of evaluation, that of individual police performance,

does not lend itself to the more "packaged" approach possible "with
organizational analysis. Because COPS programs remain somewhat open to
empirical question, the issue of how to evaluate police performance becomes
an important consideration. If COPS is to become the way policemen perform
their duties, performance evaluations become the overall equation and
strategy.

Traditionally, police performance has been evaluated through easily

quantifiable measures, such as the number of suspects arrested, calls
handled, and cases cleared, as well as the evaluation of desirable traits.
Realistically, such measures no longer may be of value to a police station that
incorporates the COPS approach. A police station that trains and expects
personnel to perform as community policemen should develop performance
instruments that measure crime prevention activities, as well as problem-
solving initiatives.

Training and Tactics. Training and tactics must reviewed with any
commitment to a COPS philosophy. Obviously, if COPS is adopted as the
way policemen perform their duties, proper training become a crucial factor to
success. Policemen must be adequately trained in community policing
methods. In terms of tactics, postponements of COPS may suggest that this
approach changes only the practices of policing.

In order for these programs to be effective, police administrators must

recognize that such programs can go beneficial only if they become part of
the operational practices of individual police stations. Likewise, the techniques
and strategies should be integrated into the daily operations of all operational
personnel. If pursued properly, this orientation should help to create the
desired partnership between the police and the community.

An additional word of caution is necessary. The most perilous dangers

posed by COPS reside in the same quagmire that has often engulfed other
government attempts to deal with major social problems, especially conditions
related to criminal behavior. The first rule of order with government attempts
to confront a social problem should be that they do no harm. Government
programs often do unintended damage to segment of the population that the
programs were designed to assist.

All programs, including COPS, contain built-in flaws. Therefore, before

instituting any program, regardless of the government level, police
administrators must answer some basic, but easily overlooked, questions.
What kind of behavior will this program encourage? Does the program
promote individual responsibility or dependency? Will this program provide
effective assistance to public order, or will it simply divert funding to additional
levels of bureaucracy?

Finally, police administrators must decide whether COPS functions

represent an activity with which police stations should involved. Only by"
addressing these concerns can police officials fully prepare themselves, their
organizations, and their communities for COPS.

Whether COPS delivers and helps rebuild the nation's infrastructure of

social order remains a question yet unanswered. However, police
administrators should remember that enhancing safety and order represent
the first responsibility of the police. To promise communities unconditionally
that the police can solve the social problems associated with crime-the very
problems that more grandiose and more fully funded programs have failed to
resolve-is to mislead citizens in a most serious ways.

Operational Guidelines

In adopting COPS, police implementors should consider the following

issues:

1. COPS requires full-time commitment to its mission to identify and solve

community problems. COPS strategies to stabilize neighborhoods, identify
causes of crimes and fear of crime, promote citizen partnership and
interaction, and implement solutions that can be effectively carried out if not
interrupted.

2. COPS does not only emphasize a strong working relationship among

police function but the internalization of its philosophy and values throughout
the organization.
3. COPS should not be viewed as another specialized function within the
police organization nor be seen merely as an elite project to boost the image
of the police.

After these issues were taken seriously, the organization is now ready
to deploy community policemen in specified areas under a supervisor to
address the problems of crime and related social disorders. The COPS units,
under the guidance of the chief of police, should establish an effective working
relationships with various segments of the community and other police
functional units.

Each of the COPS unit should be staffed by a considerable number of

qualified police personnel. The allocation of personnel should not be based on
any formula which designates personnel requirement to implement COPS.
The number should be based on the specific areas divided in terms of
geographical significance and in the number of calls for police services in
each of the area.

Community policemen should be selected from among the experienced

police personnel. They should posses qualities and attributes necessary to
achieve the optimum goals of COPS.. Training and exposure should also be
provided to police recruits to assume the responsibility for COPS when the
need arises.

The chief of police, being responsible for the overall operation of

COPS, sets priorities for personnel selection and assignment, reviews the
action plans to solve neighborhood problems, coordinates ail functional units
to support COPS, and monitors progress. He has the discretion to commit
available resources to address specific community problems.

The COPS supervisor reports directly to the chief of police and has the
Responsibility for maintaining effective personnel. He attends neighborhood
meetings to respond to questions and obtaining feedback on current
neighborhood issues. The COPS supervisors facilitates brainstorming
sessions of his community policemen and the development of written action
plans. He coordinates COPS activities and interaction with other police units,
and conducts and reviews results of action plans with members.

The community policemen carry out the daily operation of the COPS
unit. They are involved in developing and implementing the action plans. They
conduct door-to- door neighborhood surveys, enlist the support and
commitment of the community, engage in high visibility patrol, maintain close
contact with the residents, work with other government agencies and the
private sectors.

The mission of COPS is to identify and resolve community problems

related to crime and the fear of crime and other social disorders through close
interaction with the community and by engaging in crime prevention, criminal
apprehension, and other activities which support routine police functions.
These activities may include some traditional police strategies, but are
primarily problem-solving processes. Community policemen pursue these
basic objectives:

1. To identify community problems caused by crime and other factors

contributing to social disorder;

2. To engage in high visibility policing strategies and tactics to stabilize

communities by enhancing the citizen perception of police presence; and

3. To lessen the impact of problems or its causes through interaction with

citizens and the introduction of appropriate actions by itself or with other
sectors.

In addition, community policemen are expected to thoroughly

investigate on- scene crimes and incidents, respond as back-up units to
emergency calls in their areas and assist in crowd control whenever
necessary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Lee P. Community Policing: A Partnership with a Promise. The Police

Chief. (IACP, October 1992. p, 45,48.

Community Policing. A Practice Guide for Police Officials (JJS

Cox, Johan F. Small Departments and Community Policing. FBI La\v

Enforcement Bulletin. December 1992. pp. 1-5 «

Higdon, Richard Kirk and Philip G Huber. How To Fight Fear: The Cope
Programme Package. (Police Executive Research Forum, May 1987) 201 pp.

Inkster, Norman D. The Essence of Community Policing. The Police Chief.

December 1992. pp. 28-31

Jackson, Eric. Campus Police Embrace Community-Based Approach. The

Police Chief. December 1992. pp. 62-64

Joseph, Thomas M. Walking the Minefields of Community-Oriented Policing.

FBI La\v Enforcement Bulletin. September 1994. pp. 8-12

Kelling, George L. Police and Communities: The Quiet Revolution.

Perspectives on Policing (US National Institute of Justice, No. I, June 1988) 8
pp.

Mitchell, Helen B. Police-Community Relations: A Non-Traditional Training

Approach. The Police Chief. December 1992. pp. 59-61

Moore, Mark H. and Robert C. Trojanowicz. Policing ana the Fear of Crime.
Perspectives on Policing (US National Institute of Justice, No. 3, June 1988) 8
Perez, Marta Brito. IACP Offers Training in Community Oriented Policing. The
Police Chief. May 1993.pp.39.40

Skogan, Wesley G. et. al. The Reactions to Crime Project. (US National
Institute of Justice, May 1982) 61p.

Spelman, William and John E. Eck. Newport News Tests Problem-Oriented

Policing Research in Brief. (US National Institute of Justice, January 1987) 8
pp.

Sweeney, Earl M. Community-Oriented Traffic Policing. The Police Chief. July

1992. pp. 13-14

Trojanowicz, Robert C. Community Policing Is Not Police Community

Relations. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. October 1990. pp. 6-9

Walters, Paul M. Community - Oriented Policing: A Blend of Strategies. FBI

Law Enforcement Bulletin. November 1993. pp. 20-23
 Appendix "A"

THE POLICE BEAT SYSTEM - REALIZATION OF POLICE COMML'MTY

RELATIONS OBJECTIVES

The Police Bent System: What is it?

The Police Beat System or simply PBS is really nothing new. In today's
parlance, one cay say that the PBS is simply the "Koban" of Japan, the
"Neighborhood Watch" of Singapore, etc. In truth and in fact, the PBS,
consistent with the Community Oriented Policing System (COPS) under our
POLICE 2000 Program, is nothing but the Police Patrol System of old which
our post-war policemen observed. Significantly, the word PATROL can be an
acronym which stands for:

P - Policeman
A - Assigned
T - To
R - Restore
0 - Order in the
L - Locality

Scope of Police Bent

A Police Beat consists of any contiguous inhabited area defined by

identifiable boundaries within the area of operation'of a police block (or sub-
station) which a
policeman can effectively patrol during his tour of duty. In rural areas, a Police
Beat
can consist of several barangays within a particular municipality. In urban
areas, it
can consist of blocks of residences such as a portion, a whole, or a number of
barangays.
There is no fixed area for a Police Beat. What is important is that its area can
be
effectively patrolled on foot and policemen are able to respond to calls for
police
assistance within a matter of minutes.

-As a general rule, the determination and designation of Police Beats shall be
left
to the discretion of the Chief of Police upon the recommendation ofthe Sub-
Station or
Block Commander concerned taking into consideration the foregoing
guidelines and,
in commercial and industrial areas, daytime and nighttime Police to
Population Ratio.

Identification of Police Bents

For uniformity and immediate identification of Police Beats established under
this program, the numbering system as explained herein shall be accordingly
adopted.

49

A. Police Beats for the National Capital Region Command

For NCRC, Police Beats shall be identified by a five (5) digit number. The first
(1st) digit shall refer to the numerical number assigned to the District, to wit:

1 - Northern Police District

2 - Eastern Police District

3 - Western Police District

4 - Southern Police District

5 - Central Police District

<

The second (2nd) digit shall refer to the number assigned to each of the cities/
municipalities within the District with the third (3rd) digit referring to the
number
assigned to a particular Block. The fourth (4th) and fifth (5th) digits shall refer
to the
numerical number assigned to a particular beat. For this purpose, the number
zero (0)
shall precede the numbers one (1) to nine (9) for the first nine (9) beats of the
block.
Thereafter, the number zero (0) shall be dropped.

B. For Regional Commands

For the Regional Commands, Police Beats shall be identified by a six (6) digit
number. The first two (2) digits shall refer to the number of the Region with
CAR
carrying the number fourteen (14) and ARMM the number fifteen (15). The
third digit
shall refer to the number assigned to a particular province within the Region.
The
fourth (4th) digit shall refer to the number of the Block with the fifth (5th) and
sixth
(6th) numbers referring to the Beat. The number zero (0) shall precede the
numbers
one (1) to nine (9) for the first nine (9) of regions and beats. Thereafter, the
number
zero (0) shall be dropped. The assigning of numbers for provinces, cities/
municipalities, blocks, and beats shall be left to the discretion of Regional
Directors.

The Importance of the PBS in Changing the Image of the Police

Improving the image of the PNP is the concern of every policeman and not
just
those assigned in PCR offices. In fact, winning the people's "hearts and
minds" lies
largely on the shoulders of our policemen on the street, primarily the Beat
Policeman.
Jfon/y our poh'cemen would start to /ive by what me word POLICE stands as
indicated
herein, the image problem confronting-the PNP today will be a thing of the
past:

P - Person
0 - Of

L - Leadership,

50

I - Integrity,
C -- Courage.nnd
E - Efficiency

Significanr'y, the PBS is also one way of giving substance to the strategy of
"Confrontational" Police Community Relations which, in plain and simple
terms,
consists of immediate positive action at the lowest levei of command to
preempt the
development or putting to rest of an issue or issues which could later on be
the cause
of bad publicity for the PNP in general or any of its units in particular. It is
perceived,
that the PBS, if properly implemented, would result to positive views about
policemen.
On the short term, members of the community would begin to realize that
policemen
can be counted on as their friends and protectors as well as their partners in
the quest
for progress and development. On the long term, respect and admiration for
the ordinary
policeman in particular and the PNP as an organization in general will be
regained.

Component Activities of the PBS: Guidelines and Procedures

The implementation of the PBS as envisioned in this effort shall consist of the
following component activities:

1. Enlinnccniciit oftlie.sell-iin.ige of Bent Policemen.

A. Roll Cull ^mining

Roll Call Training, or what ordinary policemen would call as "Fall in", is simply
that activity whereby policemen who have just finished as well as those due to
start their tour of duty are made to stand in formation at the vicinity of their
block headquarters to give their commander the opportunity to check the
physical appearance of personnel, be apprised of what transpired in the AOR,
and/or give out information,
instructions and orders to members of the unit.

For this effort, the conduct of Roll Call Training shall be considered a must as
this activity will ensure that outgoing personnel are able to inform the unit
commander, the PCR Officer, and their counterparts in the incoming shift of
what problems were encountered during their tour of duty. Also, it will give the
commander the opportunity to check on the presentability of uniforms and
completeness of individual items of equipment of incoming shift personnel
which are deemed important in the projection
of a respectable and efficient police force. In the absence of the Block
Commander, Roll Call Training may be conducted by either the Desk
Sergeant or the Patrol-in- Charge/Inspector.

I - Integrity,
C - - Courage, nnd
E - Efficiency

Significant!'.-, the PBS is also one way of giving substance to the strategy of
"Confrontational" Police Community Relations which, in plain and simple
terms,. consists of immediate positive action at the lowest level of command
to preempt the development or putting to rest of an issue or issues which
could later on be the cause of bad publicity for the PNP in general or any of its
units in particular. It is perceived, that the PBS, if properly implemented, would
result to positive views about policemen. On the short term, members of the
community would begin to realize that policemen can be counted on as their
friends and protectors as well as their partners in the quest for progress and
development. On the long term, respect and admiration for the ordinary
policeman in particular and the PNP as an organization in general will be
regained.

Component Activities ofthe PBS: Guidelines and Procedures

The implementation ofthe PBS as envisioned in this effort shall consist ofthe
following component activities:
1. Enhancement of the.self-image of Beat Policemen.
A. Roll Call Training

Roll Call Training, or what ordinary policemen would call as "Fall in", is simply
that activity whereby policemen who have just finished as well as those due to
start their tour of duty are made to stand in formation at the vicinity of their
block headquarters to give their commander (lie opportunity to check the
physical appearance of personnel; be apprised of what transpired in the AOR,
and/or give out information,
instructions and orders to members ofthe unit.

For this effort, (/ie conduct of Roll Call Training shaJJ be considered a must
as tills activity will ensure that outgoing personnel are able to inform the unit
commander, the PCR Officer, and their counterparts in the incoming shift of
what problems were encountered during their tour of duty. Also, it will give the
commander the opportunity to check on the presentability of uniforms and
completeness of individual items of equipment of incoming shift personnel
which are deemed important in the projection of a respectable and efficient
police force. In the absence ofthe Block Commander, Roll Call Training may
be conducted by either the Desk Sergeant or the Patrol-in- Charge/Inspector.

B. Uniform and Individual Items of Equipment

In addition to the basic PNP uniform (including prescribed headgear, socks

and shoes) which everyone would like to see worn as presentably as could
be, the following items should be prominently worn/displayed.

1) PNP Badge
2) Whistle "
3) Name Plate
4) Pistol Belt with Holster
5) Service Pistol '
6) Baton
7) Raincoat and/or Flashlight (as appropriate)

C. Notebook nndjoiirii.il Entries

The notebook is one basic piece of equipment which a number of policemen

nowadays fail to appreciate and utilize. Under this effort, the notebook shall
be playing a significant role as all subsequent actions expected oftlie Block
PCRO (and even personnel from higher headquarters) will depend on matters
recorded in the notebook which eventually will have to be reflected in the PBS
Journal. (See sample format at back.)

Journals exclusively for the PBS shall be maintained at each Block. While
recording matters in the Journal shall be the individual responsibility of every
Beat Policeman, taking action and reporting matters reflected therein shall be
the duty of the Block CRO.

Entries in both [lie notebook and the journal shall answer the basic questions
of WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW of an incident or problem
encountered by a Beat Policeman particularly those problems as will be
discussed in succeeding sections hereof

2. Establishment of close working rel.itionships with B.irnngny OfTicinls.

The implementation of the PBS will entail the support and participation of
Barangay Officials and Tanods. Barangay Chairmen, as duly elected public
officials acting as the Chief Executive Officer of government within
hisjurisdiction, are persons in authority. And since policemen are but mere
agents of persons in authority, it goes without saying that policemen are
expected to subordinate themselves to a certain
degree to the Barangay Chairman when it comes to enforcement of the law
and keeping the peace within his jurisdiction.

Barangav Tanocs are residents of the community they serve and. in all
probability, are recognized if not known by the members of the community.
Since getting acquainted with and being known by members of the community
a component activity under the PBS, setting Barangay Tanods involved in this
process would help to remove whatever apprehensions or resistance thai
maye.wion {he part of community re5'idenl5 especially in the early stages of
this effort. Also, when trouble erupts in a community, the presence of
policemen assisted by Barangay tanods who are normally armed with batons
would definitely mean a lot in the immediate restoration of peace and order in
the community.

3. Development of personal relationships with community residents.

As soon as the community has been divided into beats, policemen assigned
to same shall not be relieved from such assignment for a period of at least six
(6) months. This gestation period is necessary to give Beat Policemen ample
time to be known by members of the community and, at the same time, for
him to get acquainted and establish personal contacts with the following
personalities residing within his beat in particular
- Lawyers, Doctors, Nurses, Midwifes, Engineers, Religious Leaders, and
Government Officials.

Soon after Beat Policemen shall have established themselves in the

community, constant dialogues with Barangay Officials and concerned
citizens shall be undertaken as a remilar activity., Tins will ensure that
friendships earlier established will develop and buna. about the feeling of
absolute trust and confidence in the police. Hopefully, it will also bring out
from among the residents the sense ofvolunteerism and support for the police.

During this phase, Beat Policemen may well be inspired by this thought:

When you your policeman

He will be GOOD to you. Be GOOD to your policeman,

He will SERVE you BETTER. TREATyour policeman BETTER,
He will GIVE you his BEST. When you APPRECIATE his BEST,
He will GIVE his LIFE for you!

4. Identifying problems of community residents.

n. Crime-Prone Arensnnd "Problem" Personalities:
Doctors often say that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cleverness." This dictum can very well be adopted by Beat Policemen in
keeping the peace in a community. By knowing beforehand where crime-
prone areas are located and where "problem" personalities hang around,
regular presence of Beat Policeman in such areas would definitely serve to
deter criminal elements from perpetuating their evil
intentions. Under this effort, Beat Policemen shall take notice of the following:
1) Abandoned buildings
2} Places where alcoholic drinks are served
3) Suspected gambling dens
4) Suspected fronts for prostitution
5) Suspected daig dens
6) Others

In addition, Beat Policemen assigned in tramc prone areas shall undertake

positive actions lo dismantle illegal obstructions along public roads and
sidewalks; prevent the proliferation of illegal terminals; have illegally parked
and abandoned vehicles towed away; patch-up minor potholes; etc.

Remember: Pence nnd order in your bent is your individual responsibility."

B. Service to (he Community:

Other than crime prevention and suppression, policemen, because they are
the most visible agents of government on the streets and maybe also due to
traditional concepts about police organizations worldwide, are somehow
expected to assist in the delivery of basic services to the community. And
since policemen cannot run away from such perception by the public, they
might as well do their share in this
regard In the light of the foregoing. Beat Policemen shall record in their
notebooks the following matters for subsequent action of Block PCROs:

1) Busted bulbs for street lighting

2) Open/Uncovered Manholes
3} Flooded areas
4) Cut electric/telephone wires
5) Bad/Unrepaired roads
6) Leaking water pipes/fire hydrants
7) Uncollected garbage
8) Abandoned diggings/excavations
9) Others

5. Acting on identified basic service problems with the help and participation
of the community, concerned government agencies, and non- government
organizations.

Knowing fully well that Beat Policemen will not have the time to take action on
public service problems noted, they having to go home and rest after their tour
ofdutv, it shall be the responsibility of the Block PCRO to take concrete steps
to bring to the attention of concerned government agencies and public service
companies such problems noted. As a general rule, actions to be taken by
Block PCROs shall either
be in the form of letters/endorsements or telephone calls sent/made directly to
the office concerned.
if the problem noted is one which could be solved by members of the
community themselves, Beat Policemen are encouraged to solve the problem
utilizing the "Bayanihan" spirit Filipinos are known to have.

6. Reporting actions taken and/or seeking assistance of mass media

practitioners in the solution of identified problems of (lie community.

Mass media today plays a vital role in the delivery of basic services. It will be
noted that most, if not all, radio and television stations carry public assistance
programs in the likes of'Aksyon Ngayon", "Hoy Gising", etc. Whereas the PNP
lias always been in the receiving end of complaints aired in such radio and TV
programs, actions taken by Beat Policemen as well as the matter of bringing
to the attention of concerned
government agencies basic service problems noted shall be reported/coursed
through such public assistance programs. It shall be the responsibility of Block
CROs to call up radio/TV announcers/commentators on board such programs
and air accomplishments of a Beat Policeman or the nature of problems noted
which need action by concerned government agencies or public utility
companies. Notably, this act of reporting to media will instill in the minds of the
public that our policemen are doing their job and on top of the situation.

7, Feedback to the members of the community.

For every problem noted solved and/or reported to the agency concerned,
Beat Policemen shall make it a point to give a feedback to the citizens
affected/concerned about such problems. This act will complete the PCR
concept of "Doing Best and telling the People About It. "

8. Sustaining PCR activities.

Since this effort will be implemented at practically the lowest level of

command - the Block/Substation - sustaining the effort will have to be done at
Barangay level. For this purpose, continuing dialogues with key personalities
in the community will have to be undertaken with regularity as the weeks and
months go by. It shall be the individual responsibility of each Beat Policeman
to initiate such dialogues which can
serve as vehicles for members of the community to actively participate in
crime prevention and suppression in accordance with precepts of our
country's Criminal Justice System.

Tlie Challenge to and Answer of Every Beat Policeman

When Mt. Pinatubo erupted and the all of Olongapo City was covered with
ashfall, then Mayor Dick Gordon rallied the people of Olongapo to literally rise
from the ashes. In exhorting his constituents, he posed the question "Di ka ba
kakasa sa niundo?" and followed this up with the answer "Kakasa Tayo!"

The statements ofMr. Gordon very well fits into this particular effort. Following
is the essence of his exhortation:

Ang Tanong: DI KA BA KAKASA SA MUNDO?

Dl - Diyos

Ano man ang kinasasapian mong relihiyon o pananampalataya. (Katoliko,

Protestante, Kristiyano, Iglesia ni Kristo. Muslim atb) ang paniniwala sa Diyos
ay nakakapagbigay ng lakas sa bawat tao. Sa ating pagsisiibi sa
Pambansang Pulisiya, dapat nating isapuso ang inga aralin ng ating Diyos
upang tayo ay maging mabuti at matapat sa lahat ng mai-namayan na ating
pinagsisiibihan. Dapat natin tandaan na ang bawat alagad ng batas ay laging
nasa bingit ng panganib at kamatayan tuwing siya ay magpapatupad ng
kanyang sinumpaang tungkulin. Dapat lang na taglay niya ang kalasag at
kalinga ng Diyos tuwing siya'y haharap sa bawat pagsubok.

KA - Katahimikan

Ang bawat alagad ng batas na may pagkalinga sa Diyos ay walang ninanais

kung hindi katahimikan. Angganitong pag-iisip ay magdudulot sa mamamayan
ng katahimikan ng isipan ano mans oras ng araw at gabi. Higit sa lahat,
nagiging panatag ang kanilam mga loob sa oras na siia'y pansamantalang
nawawalay sa k-aniiang rrma anak.

Walang ibang makikinabang sa karahimikan na dulbt ng isang matapat na

paninilbihan at katapatan sa tungkuiin kung hindi ang sariii mong Bayan o
Bansa. ana Pilipinas. Dito ka nabubuhay pati na rin ang lahat ng iyong mga
mahal sa buhay. Ane bansang may katahimikan na bunga ng
pagmamalasakit natin bilang mga pulis ay isa na siguro sa mga inaasam-
asam ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino.

KA^Knpwa

Ang iyong kapwa, sila ang dahilan ng lahat ng iyong pagsisikap at

pagmamalasakit. Dito magmumula ang isang bagong lahi na siya mong
masasabing isa sa malaki monc nagawa bago ka man mavvala sa mundong
ito. Taas noo mong masasabi sa iyong mga anak, at supling ng iyong mga
anak, na ikavv ang siyang nagdulot ng kapanatagan at katahimikan para sa
iyong kapwa. Lumipas man ang mga panahon, alaala mo'y di mawawala.
Iyong isapuso ang matapat na pagtupad sa tungkuiin ng walang alinlangan
at pangamba at makatitiyak ka, sa tulong at gabay ng Diyos, walang pasubali,
pagmamahal ng kapwa ay iyong makakamtan. Lalapit ang kanilang
damdamin sa iyo at muli nating maipanunumbalik ang tiwala ng mamamayan.
Sila ang lalapit at makikipagtulungan para sa ikalulutas ng isang hidwaan.

KA- Kndiigo
Bakit ka nagnanais na mnbigyan ng katahimikan ang iyong kapwa'.^ Simple
at wala ng iba pa kundi sila ay iyong kadugo ai kalipi, maging siya man ay
maputi, maitim o kayumanggi, ano man ang kanyang kulay, siya ay tao na
iyong kadugo, kapcitid sa turing at nagmula sa isang lahi. lisang dugo ang
nananalaytay sa ating mga ugat at dapat lamang na siia'y paglingkuran,
sapagka't sa kanila mo naisumpa ng ikaw ay pumasok sa ganitong larangan,
ang iyong na iyong kadugo, sila ay dapat pangalagaan na paraang maging
ang buhay man ay iyong ilalaan.

Sa lahat ng mga nabanggit na panitik magmula sa paniniwala mo sa Diyos na

may isang adhikain at ito ay ang katahimikan para sa nag-iisa mong bansa na
kung saan ay dito nakatira ang iyong kapwa na siyang dahilan ng lahat ng
iyong pagsisikap pagkat ang kapwa mong ito ay siya mong kadugo na sa
kanya mo iniaalay ang sarili mong buhay kung kinakailangan, makamtan
lamang ang hinahangad na kapayapaan.

Ikaw ang tinutukoy sa huling bahagdan ng pagpapatupad ng isang tapat na

tungkulin at layunin. Ang sarili mong ito ang siya mong gagamitin, hindi ibang
lahi, hindi taga ibang bansa kundi ikaw bilang Pilipino. Ikaw ang dapat
magpunyagi para sa kapakanan ng daraiing pang mga iahi na mabuhay sa
isang matahimik na lugar, vvala ng iba pa kundi tayo, tayong mga Pilipino,
ang ating sarili, na kung saan ay umaasa ang mahigit na 65 milyong Pilipino
ng isang mapayapang bansa.

Marami ang dumating at ibinigay ang kanilang sarili para mapaglingkuran ang
ating kapwa, subalit, kaunti lamang ang napili at ito ay tayo, ikaw, ang iyong
sarili. Ikaw ang Pilipino, ikaw ang pulis dito sa mundo. Ikaw na isang ama ng
tahanan - pag- asa ng iyong pamilya ay taas noong makakaharap sa mundo
na may pagmamalaki! kaw din ang magiging punyagi ng iyong mga anak na
matutuwa at may pagmamalaking sila ay anak ng isang pulis.

Ang sngot: KAKASA TAYO!

KA - Kung
SA - Sama-sama

Kung ang lahat ng ito ay nakatanim at taos sa iyong puso at damdamin, ang
matapat na paglilingkod, handa ka na kaibigan ko, na harapin ng matibay at
matatag ang lahat ng suliranin na sa buhay mo ay darating. Puwede na nating
isigaw sa mundo na kaka'sa layo. Bngamat maaaring hindi mo ito kayang
nagiisa, kasama mo ako, kami kaibigan, ating sabay-sabay na sagutin:
KAKASA TAYO!

Appendix "B"
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: THE BAGUIO PROJECT

Introduction

In November of 1991, a group of Baguio residents led by Ms. Remedies

Soriano presented a peace and order program to the city officials including
the city mayor, police regional director, city chief of police, and members of
the city council. The concerned officials felt that the plan is substantive
enough to improve the peace and order of Baguio City. The plan was
accepted with modifications after a series of consultations with police sub-
station commanders, barangay captains and various sectors. However, the
project implementation was delayed with General Manuel Lopez, one of the
major proponent, was transferred to another command. The group decided to
present the project proposal to PNP officials during the launching of
Crimewatch in Manila on January 1992. The plan was applauded and a
directive was
issued to Benguet PNP Command and the Baguio City Police Station to
undertake the project. After several coordinating conferences, the project was
implemented effective October 1, 1992. The zeal and enthusiasm of the
provincial director added vigor to the project. The city government under
Honorable Maurice Domogen was very ------------------

Foundations

The concept of community-based police project was based on studies

undertaken by Ray Dean Salvosa of Baguio City who have observed and
researched on police operations in two medium-sized cities in the United
States. Zoning and extended assignment of police personnel in a specified
zone were integrated in the current program. To make the concept more
responsive, the Fiiipino values ofpakikisama" and "bayanihan" were
interwoven in the system of community support that creates interdependence
between the police and the community, thus making the police and the
community integral to each other. The prolonged assignment of a policeman
to a specific area is accomplished through the following:

responsibility for policing a definite area or territory within the city. He is

expected to know his area or neighborhood through modes of socialization.
The policeman should manifest distinct responsibility and
accountability for public safety of his area.

2. The neighborhood is expected 10 provide the policeman with the

necessary material support and moral encouragement through the
organization and mobilization of neighborhood watch groups and creating a
network of. interdependence between various community groups and the
police.

The key concepts that need to be operationalized are accountability and

interdependence. This stem from the realization that the police and
community need. each other. The police can only be as effective as the
community want them to be because not all requirements and support
systems for policing are available to the police. The community can play an
active role in skills development and training that are compatible with local
conditions and in grant of incentives and rewards. In the final analysis, the
community takes a complementary stance to enhance stability and
productivity in police organizations. This implies that the citizenry and the
police should "own" the social problems besetting community and should see
themselves as co-producers of peace and order and safety in the
communities, neighborhoods and families.

Basic Outline of the Program

a. Division of the city into interdependent and autonomous police districts:

b. Uninterrupted assignment of police personnel to the districts for a
minimum of two years;
c. Officers assigned to the district wear a distinctive patches to identify their
operational area. They operate only within the specified zone boundaries,
except during hot pursuit of criminals or when asked to render assistance to
the adjoining districts where they are allowed to cross lines.
d. Use of logistical equipment like weapons, radios and vehicles are confined
to the district and are allowed to be utilized outside boundaries during hot
pursuit or hen responding to emergencies and requests for assistance.
Vehicles and equipment are marked with distinctive logo/seal for easy
identification.
e. A minimum of four police officers are detailed on an eight-hour shift. One
stays in the permanent converging area or post with two officers operating on
foot or in bicycle and one mans the mobile unit.
f. Response time to calls for services are made within 3 to 10 minutes with
this kind of decentralized set-up. The policeman can respond directly to
incidents without the unnecessary bureaucratic interference. Likewise, it is
preventive in nature as most criminals are hesitant to enter areas where
police response is visible.

• This plan guarantees police omnipresence and accessibility in the area

thereby preventing the occurrence of crime and reducing the fear of crime
among the residents.

Organization of Neighborhood Watch Scheme By Streets

Training in community organization was conducted for policemen and leaders

of various community sectors. The object is to prepare cohesive and
organized communities to respond to crime and other emergencies with the
public safety component entrusted to the police. To ensure success,
Neighborhood Watch Scheme requires street level implementation.

Neighborhood Watch starts with a meeting of street residents and police

where problems are discussed including capabilities and resources.
Consensus is obtained as to the activities to be undertaken. It is more than an
"eye and ear" activity. It involves neighbors working together to report
suspicious activities observed and to see to it that each household is
equipped with "hue and cry" systems for concerted response in the event of
crime incident or emergency. This will work only in neighborhood where
everybody agrees to work together for the betterment and safety of the
community. Experience shows that criminals are wary of well organized
neighborhoods with the adequate police protection.

Establishment of a Crimewatch Program in the Business District

Separate substation is established for the central business district. The
officers assigned are trained and have developed expertise in all aspects of
commercial security. A Business Crimewatch Program involving the
commercial establishments and their private security guards can be organized
and integrated with the community-based crime prevention programs. It is
paramount to train both police, private security guards
and business personnel, supervisors, cashiers, clerks, salespersons, in
techniques to detect and prevent shoplifting, petty theft and armed robberies.
For example, a retail businessmen can help prevent crime and reduce
business losses by organizing and putting together a "Buddy Alert Systems"
so that neighboring merchants can be alerted to contact authorities whenever
one of them is being robbed. An alarm system can be linked between two
adjoining business establishments so that the one being robbed can relay
alert signals to the other who in turn call the attention of the police. This can
be done at a minimal expense if all sectors agree to cooperate and work
together.

Establishment of 3 Crimewatch Program for the University District

Students often fall prey to muggers, thieves, snatchers and con artists of all
sons. Areas where the students converge, pass to and from school are
identified and it is necessary to establish a specialized group within the police,
(preferably young police officers who are attending schools, who will not only
patrol the areas but also pose as students) to prevent, intercept and arrest
perpetrators victimizing students. The specialized group is tasked to integrate
campus security personnel and student informants into a network for effective
crime prevention and law enforcement.

Community Support and Linkages

This system will work if the communities and the police develop a healthy
working relationship. One of the objectives of the program is to make the
policeman a vital part and regular member of the community. He can fully
integrate himself by earning the respect of the residents.

The system will operate unhampered ifinterdependency exists between the

police and the community. The community exerts all efforts to provide
logistical or material service support to the police. For example, the
community can augment the meager gasoline allowance through voluntary
contributions and requests for donations. Other support modes are in the form
of basic necessities such as food stuff and the physical presence of volunteer
patrol groups from the community to accompany the policeman on his beat.

In Baguio, the officials proposed to organize a foundation to undertake fund

raising campaigns to support the financial requirements of the program. This
is to augment insufficient fund support to the LGU and the police
headquarters. They intend to ask the City Council to come up with a taxation
program where each household in Baguio will be assessed a 10 peso monthly
tax to go into a special fund for police operations.
Likewise, civic c/ub and business establishments will be tapped to support the
undertaking by giving annual contributions. Financial support from the
schools, colleges and universities will be requested through the Baguio
Education Council. The students and pupils will be asked a P 1.00 donation
subject to approval by DECS, LGU and the PTA. Multi-national corporations
and tourism-affiliated establishments will be tapped
through their local representatives/associations. The rationale is simply to -
create a homogenous working climate to keep the police officers committed
and responsive. built-in mechanism will be put in place to account for all funds
and disbursements.

The foundation will also undertake the task of monitoring police performance
and coordinating community support for crime prevention programs.
Community involvement can be fostered by encouraging individuals to
support their club or group in fund raising campaign for community-policing; to
pinpoint crime causing factors in their homes and neighborhoods; to volunteer
for the Neighborhood Watch Program; to attend City Council hearings called
for such a purpose; to organize a group to get involved in data gathering
activities; and assist the police as citizen volunteers.

Institutionalization of the Program

The success of the project is highly dependent on the willingness of the

community to continuously sustain the program as its support base. The
project requires the utmost willingness of both the citizen and the police to
work together for a common goal. This can be facilitated by the basic features
of the project-community-based and systems
approach —; which are free from personal or group vested interests. This set-
up encourages the active participation ofNGOs and police support groups
(REACT, Pugad Lawin, etc.) to fill in the gaps resulting from the shortage of
required services, facilities and equipment.

It is necessary to impress upon the citizenry that this program can operate
only if they do their share in providing the material and non-material support
the police needs to protect their communities. On the other hand, the police
can only get the support by doing what is expected of them. It is imperative for
the police and community to develop independence. As an operational
indicator, this interdependence should create a discernible closeness of this
system can be seen in exclusive Manila villages (Forbes Park and
Dasmarinas Village) with the private security guards playing the police role.
However, it entails so much cost to the village association to sustain the
scheme. Implementing the Baguio Project costs less because the basic
elements are already available — a police force with logistical capability and a
mobilized community.

Essentials of Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention strategy where citizens and the

local law enforcement agency, directly participate in the detection and
prevention of crime. Neighborhood Watch, which may be termed as "Citizens
Crime Watch", "Home Alert" or "Block Watch", flows from the basic concept of
citizens actively involved in policing
their community.

Neighborhood Watch Groups are trained how to recognize suspicious or

criminal ;

activities and to report these activities to the police. Neighborhood Watch

Groups
provide valuable information to the local law enforcement agency needed in
the investigation of crimes, apprehension of offenders and prevention of
deviant behavior.

Neighborhood Watch is not a group of vigilantes or lawless people taking the

law into their hands nor do it takes the place of the police station in the
locality.

Why Neighborhood Watch Work?

The appreciation of Neighborhood Watch stems from one's understanding

that the local enforcement agency is limited in manpower and logistics. The
Neighborhood Watch scheme helps the local police to overcome its
manpower shortage by mobilizing residents to act as their eyes and ears and
as a resource base for citizen volunteers.

Police Officer Availability

Practically, a lot of policemen are not actively involved in patrolling their

communities. Police responses are mainly incident-driven and policemen are
preoccupied with other tasks such as investigate work, administrative duties,
traffic
enforcement, report writing court appearances, etc. These functions limit the
utilization of police manpower for neighborhood patrol.

Obviously there are more citizens than there are policemen. Ifoperationalized
successfully, Neighborhood Watch becomes an extension of the police station
in the delivery of public safety services.

Unlimited Citizen Availability

Neighborhood Watch provides unlimited manpower resources needed to

secure the neighborhoods. Citizen involvement in crime prevention puts the
criminal element off balance because of two-fold concerns, his fear of police
presence and his anxiety over community efforts for crime prevention.

How Neighborhood Watch Operates?

Neighborhood Watch operates in two basic ways: The volunteers observe

their neighborhood and immediately notify the police ifap criminal activity is
taking place. Likewise, members may measures such as alarm system to limit
opportunity for

What Does Neighborhood

Generally, Neighborhood Watch costs nothing. He equipment such as

binoculars, spotlights, flashlights, facilitate
information kits, and hand-held radios to strengthen their capability. Members
are encouraged to share the use of their equipment to others. Neighborhood
Watch offers opportunities for volunteerism which does not necessarily
require the use of the equipment.

Who May Participate in Neighborhood Watch?

The bulk of neighborhood residents are encouraged to join the Neighborhood

Watch be they children, teenagers or adults. No age group is exempted from
crime nor the responsibility for preventing it. Neighborhood watchers are from
all walks of life — housewives, blue-collar workers, business professionals,
retirees and students. In short, the Neighborhood Watch is the community
itself. Neighborhood Watch knows no color, religion, nationality or social
status. Neighborhood Watch is citizens working together to make their
community a better and safer place to live.

When Does Neighborhood Occurs?

Neighborhood Watch operates on a daily basis. Also, Neighborhood Watch

Program are activated for special situations or events that warrant citizen
involvement such as patrolling in crime-prone areas or in disturbance control
operations.

How to Join Neighborhood Watch

Interested parties can contact any policeman in the area to participate in the
Neighborhood Watch. Information materials are available to acquaint
prospective members-of their role and responsibilities and specific tasks
including the names of contact persons and block leaders. The block leader,
normally a policeman, organizes and manages Neighborhood Watch
operations in a specific block or district. Depending on the size of the group,
an assistant block leader and other officers maybe designated. If there is no
organized Neighborhood Watch Group in the area, the interested party may
initiate the move and encourage other residents to get involved.

Personal Attitude

One must understand that effective crime prevention and detection rest on the
cooperative efforts between the community and local law enforcement
agency. Crime prevention starts with the community and the police developing
the proper mental attitude that commitment can make a difference. Active
involvement in Neighborhood
Watch creates a positive attitude and feeling that everybody is doing his part
in ensuring safety of the community.

In order to effectively participate in the Neighborhood Watch Program, it is

necessary that members are well informed of the neighborhood and the
community at large. This can be done by keeping an open ear and a watchful
eye. Talking to neighbors, encouraging them provide information on any
suspicious or unusual occurrences, and
exchanging information with them is beneficial to the success of the program.

Attendance to Neighborhood Watch meetings is necessary to discuss matters

relevant to the program as well as to foster friendship among the group.
Likewise, readings enhance members capability to cope with situations and
assess problems correctly. Local information source provide useful data such
as crime patterns and
victimization and arrest rates.

Other Neighborhood Watch Activities

The following are complementary programs and activities to strengthen the

Neighborhood Watch;

1. Crime Prevention education to residents with emphasis on detection and

deterrence.
2. Community dialogues to identify problems and priorities, resolve issues,
analyze crime patterns and decide on crime prevention strategies.
3. Home security surveys to detect security lapses.
4. Recruitment and training of Neighborhood Watch volunteers to enhance
productivity.
5. Special protection strategies to special populations (senior citizens,
disabled, street children, economically disadvantaged groups, cultural
communities, etc.)
6 . Shelter homes development to cater to after-school activities and other
projects for the youth.
7. Residential inspection of houses whose owners and occupants are in
vacation.:
8. Mainta'imng'hot line/radio frequency with civilian radio gcouys-tQ facilitate
9. Media liaison to communicate crime prevention efforts to various sectors.
10. Victim assistance to lessen the impact of victimization.
11. Visibility of Neighborhood Watch signs, posters and logos in residences
and strategic places to send signals to criminals that the community is
protected by Neighborhood Watch.
12. Liaison with community leaders, government officials and legislators to
hasten enactment of crime control measures.
13. Property marking efforts to hasten identification recovery and prosecution.

-END-
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE MANUAL
PNP-DS-O-8-95 (DHRDD)

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED
POLICING SYSTEM
VOLUME I
 Republic of the Philippines
National Headquarters, Philippine National Police
Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development
Camp Crame, Quezon City 1111
1995

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EDSA Corner Reliance St., Mandaluvone, Metro Manila

MESSAGE

As the nation draws closer to its grandiose vision of Philippines 2000,

the PNP has adopted,a revolutionized concept of policing which is anchored
on community empowerment. This is a new concept that puts primacy on
community-police partnership.

This handbook meets the standard for comprehensive reference

governing the various aspects of police operation particularly in the delivery of
the basic police services to the people.

I therefore endorse the approval and adoption of this COPS handbook.

Any member of the PNP who would like to orient himself with the different
aspects of Community-Oriented Policing System must treat this handbook as
a ready reference.

I am confident that through this handbook, we can appreciate the

significance of our task in our desire to further establish and strengthen the
police community teamwork.

Through this handbook, our efforts for a peaceful environment could be

realized, Since police service is basically people oriented, the only indicator of
PNP's success is in the people's satisfaction. Thus, it is imperative for every
police personnel to be of service to the people.

RAFAEL M ALUNAN III

Chairman, NAPOLCOM/
Secretary, Department of the
Interior and Local Government
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of the Interior and Local Government
National Police Commission
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
Camp Crame, Quezon City

FOREWORD

The Police is the most visible representative of the government. As

uniformed member of the premiere law enforcement agency of the country,
day to day decorum is demanded. As such, a knowledge of basic policing
concepts is necessary to guide all his actions.

The Philippine National Police must consistently respond to the nature,

dynamics, and characteristics of the fast changing times. Its primary concern
is focused on crime prevention, and among the new approaches it has
recently adopted is the community- based policing dubbed as COPS.
Community-Oriented Policing System (COPS) is a revolutionized concept in
modem policing designed to improve the efficient delivery
of basic police services. It adheres to the basic concept that the police and
community are co-producers of the police services hence, peace and order is
a shared and joint responsibility of both.

This handbook provides clear understanding of the interdependency of

roles of both the police and the community. Basically, it contains set of
principles that encourage as well as promote better police-community
partnership. Also, this handbook is designed to provide the PNP members the
basic ground rules to enhance effectiveness.

The community-police partnership is being encouraged to enhance the

PNP's community based crime prevention programs. Members of the PNP
must internalize and appoly this basic COPS concept in order to sincerely
pursue its noble purpose.

I enjoin the readers and practitioners of COPS to institutionalize and

put into actual practice the tenets and principles contained herein.
Suggestions to further improve the contents are most welcome. Please direct
them to the Director, Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine
Development, Telephone Numbers: 725-3217, 723-0401 up to 20 local 5683,
5663 and 3873.

RECAREDO A SARMIENTO H
Police Director General
Chief, PNP
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of the Interior and Local Government
National Police Commission
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development
Camp Crame, Quezon City

PREFACE

Community-Oriented Policing System (COPS) capitalizes not only on

the active police and community partnership as antidote to criminality but also
underscores the proactive approach in policing which zeroes in the root
causes of the problems and their solutions.

This handbook on Community-Oriented Policing System provides the

general guidelines and it answers the basic questions which every police
officer should know. It contains a comprehensive set of guidelines and norms
necessary for its successful implementation as an organizational philosophy
and operational strategy.

The implementation of COPS is geared towards the attainment of

uniformed strategy at all levels of police commands. Efforts were also made to
synergize the actions of the police and the community to gain a more realistic
and positive approach in crime prevention.

Every member of the PNP must contribute his share of responsibility

towards attaining a peaceful, orderly and progressive environment in our
society.

CRISOGONO R\FRANCISCO
Police Sr Superintendent, MNSA
Director

16 January 1996
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message .......................................................................................... i
Foreword ........................................................................................... ii
Preface .......................................................................................... iii

Chapter 1 UNDERSTANDING COPS

Introduction.......................................................................................... 1
Fundamentals of COPS .................................................. .................... 2
Traditional Policing; Characteristics..................................................... 5
Institutionalizing COPS........................................................................ 6
Program Components of COPS ........................................................... 10
COPS and PCR; Contrasts ................................................................. 13

Chapter 2 PLANNING FOR COPS: THE PROBLEM

ORIENTED APPROACH

Introduction;.......................................................,.....................................18
Foundation for Problem-Oriented Approach........................................... 19
The Nature of Police Problem................................................................. 20
Developing the Overall Approach............................................................ 21
Implementing the Process...................................................................... 25
Effect on the Organization...................................................................... 26
Problem-Oriented Policing: SARA Model................................................ 27

Chapter 3 ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES FOR COPS

Introduction............................................................................................ 32
Return to the Basic; Peel's Principles...................................................... 32
The Need for Change ............................................................................ 34

Chapter 4 IMPLEMENTING COPS

Introduction........................................................................................... 38
Strategies ............................................................................................. 38
Potential Obstacles................................................................................ 42
Operational Guidelines........................................................................... 45
Bibliography ..................................................................................... 47
AppendixA - Police Beat System............................................................. 49
AppendixB - Neighborhood Watch: The Baguio Project.......................... 60
AppendixC - COPS Five-Year Master Plan............................................. 69
AppendkD - COPS Implementing Guidelines.......................................... 81
AppendixE - PNP Anti-Crime Strategy (LOISANDIGAN 10/93).............. 89