Platform : What Does ‘Community Policing’ Mean to You?’

ANTHONY CARLOS ALVAREZ

Police officer, El Monte

When community policing became a popular phrase recently, it caused me to stop and think (about how) we’ve been doing this for years. Like most cities, we have our gang problems, our occasional shootings and stabbings and all that; but it is much, much less than when I was a kid, before our chief started this program.

I grew up in this city, in the heavy gang areas. One time, the police caught me and some buddies fooling around. The officer could have taken us in, but he chose to take me home. He sort of counseled me and my parents. It had a lasting effect on me, that there is a different way to go.

Now, most of our gang members know our community-relations officers by name. Many of them have been found jobs and come back and talk as friends. Our chief likes us to do that.

Instead of the cops being an adversary, only there to take you to jail, we actually do a lot more by bonding with the community. As somebody who has grown from a kid to a cop, I’ve seen the advantage.

JOE R. HICKS

Executive director, Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles

Community policing, unfortunately, has all too many times meant police representatives showing up at block clubs and Neighborhood Watch meetings--interacting with those smaller groupings of organized residents. We think it’s a much larger, more comprehensive, much more radical concept, if you will, where the police (decentralize) themselves to the point where officers who work in communities will be known by the individuals who live there and be seen for exactly what it says on the side of the patrol cars: “To protect and serve.” In effect, (it should be) a partnership with people.

As most folks know, there are some communities in Los Angeles besieged by crime, violence, gangs and drug trafficking. While it’s true police know policing better than any of us, people living in those communities know best where the hot spots are, how the police should be deployed and know best, in effect, how crime should be dealt with. That means they must be part of councils or advisory boards that work directly with the police Establishment, have power in matters of deployment, priorities and utilization. It’s an issue, basically, of community control of the police.

CAROL TANTAU-SMITH

Gallery owner, Venice

I am a member of our local community police advisory committee; there are several in Venice, (and community policing) really makes a huge difference. There are very specific needs that vary from block to block. Residents have different problems from the merchants. The street performers have different problems from the residents. It’s always good to know what the other guy’s problem is, because it often can give you some perspective on yours.

For me, it’s been a tremendous help being able to talk directly and regularly with members of the Police Department rather than just a dispatcher to ask them how I should handle given situations. There’s a lot of middle ground between a nuisance and a life-threatening emergency.

JOHN CRONSHAW

Senior lead officer, LAPD Chinatown substation

About 1981-82 the Chinese community came to the conclusion that they needed a little closer relationship with the Police Department; (but) basically, the community is very tight-lipped. It takes care of its own problems. In other words, it’s taken quite some time to garner the trust of the community.

(Then) in December, 1984, there was a shooting (at a jewelry store) on Bamboo Lane. One of our officers was killed. That was a little bit of a turning point. I felt a little more acceptable to the community in that we had demonstrated how far we were willing to go in preserving tranquillity and peace by giving one of our own’s lives to the cause. Things are kind of coming around now. People are much more willing to come forward and even though (some) may not want to report a crime on a formal written report, at least they’re telling us what’s happening. And we’re showing them we do have (the resources) to take care of some of their problems.