The last decade has witnessed the rise of a new movement called “community policing.” Basic philosophical principles, which focus on improved services to the public through decentralization, better communication and decision-making processes, and more police discretion highlight the community policing movement. Essentially, community policing is the quality movement in American policing. This thesis will explore the impact of community policing on the structure and administration of police agencies. Since this movement is centered in local police agencies, the focus will also be at that level. Considerable effort will be devoted to providing an accurate description of law enforcement in the United States; however, the crux of this treatise will be on the discussion of organizational problems developed at the local level as a result of implementing community policing concepts.

Community policing in Middletown (Muncie, Indiana) began in 1996 with the institution of Cop Shops. Cop Shops are small satellite stations that are equipped with a telephone and an officer that works in neighborhoods that have an above average amount of crime. The officer works with residents in these neighborhoods with the goal of reducing crime in these areas. Questions were put on the 1997 Middletown Area Survey that asked the citizens of Muncie what their attitudes were toward the Muncie Police Department. Interviews were also conducted with law enforcement officers in the Muncie/Delaware County area for information regarding the type of community policing system that is practiced in Muncie. Initial findings indicate that any type of contact citizens have with the Muncie Police Department, positive or negative, result in citizens viewing the police officers more negatively than those citizens who have not had any contact with the police. / Department of Sociology

In the study of Training and Selection of Police Officers: Toward a Community Police Model the researcher relied on data gathered using questionnaires distributed in a broad geographical range and among a diverse but relevant respondent population. Samples were obtained from police officers, and candidate officers in training and citizens from the southeastern and northeastern sections of the United States. Overall accuracy of survey documents is believed to be high. Survey documents were tested using a Chronbach's alpha test for validity and were constructed around a Likert type scale for responses. Analysis of data was accomplished using a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) Tukey post hoc test with a .05 level of significance. Outcomes suggested a relationship between more conservative belief patterns among police officers and their post secondary education levels. Additional possibilities were noted in the overall training systems related to the police respondents as in alignment with current needs for traditional policing but, not necessarily adequate for community policing needs. These views also proceeded along educational lines. In addition, outcomes of researched based secondary education models constructed during the research, and even European models for police selection and training may offer some solutions for police in the United States. Other valuable points found during the study were indicators that careful personnel selection and college education when found in predominance among members, seemed to positively alter the general working environment of one police agency involved in the study. / Political Practice / D.Litt. et Phil.(Police Science)

In the study of Training and Selection of Police Officers: Toward a Community Police Model the researcher relied on data gathered using questionnaires distributed in a broad geographical range and among a diverse but relevant respondent population. Samples were obtained from police officers, and candidate officers in training and citizens from the southeastern and northeastern sections of the United States. Overall accuracy of survey documents is believed to be high. Survey documents were tested using a Chronbach's alpha test for validity and were constructed around a Likert type scale for responses. Analysis of data was accomplished using a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) Tukey post hoc test with a .05 level of significance. Outcomes suggested a relationship between more conservative belief patterns among police officers and their post secondary education levels. Additional possibilities were noted in the overall training systems related to the police respondents as in alignment with current needs for traditional policing but, not necessarily adequate for community policing needs. These views also proceeded along educational lines. In addition, outcomes of researched based secondary education models constructed during the research, and even European models for police selection and training may offer some solutions for police in the United States. Other valuable points found during the study were indicators that careful personnel selection and college education when found in predominance among members, seemed to positively alter the general working environment of one police agency involved in the study. / Political Practice / D.Litt. et Phil.(Police Science)