Integrating Soiological Research and Theory with Community-Oriented Policing: Bridging the Gap between Academics and Practice

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Over 70 percent of police agencies indicate that they have put the community-oriented policing (COPS) philosophy into practice, but some critics claim that they are failing to do it well. In this paper, we examine three core components of community policing (community involvement, problem solving, and organizational decentralization) and employ lessons from the academic sociological literature on these topics to inform how to improve the fit between philosophy and practice. We argue that applying lessons from sociology will make the implementation and practice of community policing more successful in meeting community needs, including reducing crime and fear of crime.