Community policing and youth offending: a comparison of large and small jurisdictions in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT Over the last two decades, the implementation of community-oriented practices has been a primary focus of American policing. Supporters of this approach suggest that a partnership between police, community members, and service agencies can strengthen the welfare of young individuals in the community. Relying on Census, Uniform Crime Report, and Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics data, the current study aims to identify the association between community policing practices and arrests of young individuals for violent offences. Findings suggest that the relationship between violent crime arrest counts and implementation of COP strategies is relative to the size of the jurisdiction and age group being examined. These effects are inversely related to violent crime arrest counts among juveniles and young adults in large jurisdictions, suggesting the implementation of COP is successful in reducing levels of violence in urban settings. Based on these results, policy implications and future directions for research are discussed.