Community-centred police professionalism

Abstract

Earlier studies suggest that community policing requires a shift in the guiding philosophy and supporting organisational structure of law enforcement. This shift encompasses police professionalism and police professionalisation. The prevailing model invests ‘know-how’ in officers and rarely rewards ‘learn-how’ behaviour with citizens that facilitates community involvement and community change. Consequently, the traditional or ‘pure’ professional model has led to a distancing of the police from the community. When considering natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and related challenges of post 9-11 America, the insular nature of the traditional professional model presents a tremendous obstacle to achieving the needed levels of community-police integration, collaboration and problem solving in the co-production of public safety, public order, emergency management and homeland security. This paper explores the historical origins of this breach, sketches the nature of police professionalism in typical present-day law enforcement, and offers a template for a community-centred model of police professionalism that better aligns with the contemporary and future challenges facing local law enforcement agencies in the United States and other countries. From the community-centred template, the paper outlines key implications for individual police professionals, police organisations and agency-community relations in the co-production of public safety and public order.