Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants

The COPS Office was established in 1994 to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in enhancing effectiveness and building the capacity to advance public safety through the implementation of community policing strategies. Community policing entails developing partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve so they can work collaboratively to resolve problems and build community trust. It is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem solving techniques, in order to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, fear of crime, and satisfaction with police services. Community policing is comprised of three key components: Community Partnerships Collaborative partnerships between the law enforcement agency and the individuals and organizations they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police: • Other government agencies • Community members/groups • Nonprofits/service providers • Private businesses • Media Organizational Transformation The alignment of organizational management, structure, personnel, and information systems to support community partnerships and proactive problem solving: • Agency management • Climate and culture • Leadership • Labor relations • Decision-making • Strategic planning • Policies • Organizational evaluations • Transparency • Organizational structure • Geographic assignment of officers • Despecialization • Resources and finances • Personnel • Recruitment, hiring, and selection • Personnel supervision/evaluations • Training • Information systems (Technology) • Communication/access to data • Quality and accuracy of data Problem Solving The process of engaging in the proactive and systematic examination of identified problems to develop and rigorously evaluate effective responses: • Scan: Identify and prioritize problems • Analysis: Research what is known about the problem • Response: Develop solutions to bring about lasting reductions in the number and extent of problems • Assessment: Evaluate the success of the responses • Use the crime triangle to focus on immediate conditions (victim/offender/location)