Policing Styles

Policing Styles

1. Zero Tolerance Policing

   • Policing by coercion
     • Launched in 1990s, aimed for substantial crime reduction based on rigorous enforcement of the laws particularly street crimes and 'quality of life' offences
     • NYC origin
     • Broken windows concept - Wilson and Kelling
     • Break criminogenic cycle to crackdown on minor disorder
     • Promoting the policing model as a brand - commodification of policing
     • In UK under New Labour - punitive stance on crime through media - ZTP used as a catchphrase rather than a coherent strategy of policing
     • ZTP originating in NYC is culturally important - media capital of the world and source of most enduring fictional images of crime fighting e.g. superheroes
   • Key elements
     • Visible street policing with strong law enforcement of minor crime - less use of police discretion
     • Enhanced accountability and performance evaluation
     • Analysis of crime data
     • Target setting for crime reduction
     • Emphasis on multi-agency strategies to address community problems
   • Criticisms
     • Crime was dropping in US independent of ZTP - 1994-97 = reduced by 37%
     • Enforcement strategies targeted the vulnerable
     • Idea that policing alone can reduce crime is problematic and disproved - deeper social problems e.g. poverty
     • Incompatible with developing strategies of community policing (removal of discretion)
     • The 'zero' of ZTP is practically impossible
     • Cost e.g. 7000 more officers in NYPD - cuts to other areas
     • Labelling perspective
     • Proactive policing can lead to serious disorder e.g. Brixton riots 1981
     • Increased prison population - mass warehousing proved criminogenic
     • Allegations of brutality and corruption rose 41% since ZTP introduced between 1992-94
     • Deteriorates police and community relations that are already problematic
     • Applied to certain activities e.g. drug trade - displacement rather than elimination
     • Policing of low level 'quality of life' offences not efficient use of resources - takes police off street for up to 4 hours
     • Statistical analysis not best way to measure effective policing - success of police should not just be measured in terms of crime reduction
   • Why ZTP has proved an enduring policing strategy
     • Resonates with basic concerns - fear, security, easy miracle with instant cure, simplifying crime problem
     • Popular punitiveness - public like so political parties encourage it - simplistic approach
     • Operation Zero Tolerance by Met Police in Kings Cross area 1996 - 25 additional police officers to deter beggars, drunks and homeless

2. Community policing

   • Policing by consent
     • Peelian idea - police are the public, public are the police
     • Coercive force as a last resort
     • Emphasis on soft power
     • Responsive to local needs to generate trust, confidence and legitimacy
     • Acting on behalf of citizens, not the state
     • Decentralised - priorities defined by community
   • Key elements
     • Proactive rather than reactive
     • Highly visible patrol allowing public contact
     • Visible, Accessible, Familiar (VAF) policing
     • Working with communities - engagement
     • Problem solving focus
     • Persuasion, negotiation and community interaction
   • Why community policing
     • Intelligence gathering - law enforcement relies on public cooperation
     • Learn public concerns and priorities - guided by this rather than state
     • Work with community groups and assist with diversion schemes e.g. football clubs
   • Why community policing was introduced
     • 1st failed attempt at neighbourhood policing in 1980s - resistance from rank and file officers who had to deliver it - PCSOs solved this problem
     • Previous issues with reactive policing - loss of crime prevention e.g. growth in use of radios tied police into reactive work
     • Police were self-serving i.e. served own interests
     • Patrolling in cars replaced patrolling on foot - little public contact, more remote
     • Neighbourhood policing - white paper Building Communities, Beating Crime 2004 - NPT in each force, citizen focused ethos, informed by reassurance policing - reduce crime gap
     • Issues - difficult to measure success, problem solving element underdeveloped, limited impact at district level, inconsistent delivery
   • Why community policing is difficult to implement
     • Lower priority than other tasks/forms of policing e.g. law enforcement
     • Officers frequently removed into reactive work
     • Budget cuts
     • Resistance by rank and file officers - not their culture of crime fighting
     • Difficulty in keeping same officers in neighbourhoods - career progression
     • Law enforcement responsibilities may promote distrust and suspicion in some communities e.g. anti-terrorism agenda means police are focused on certain communities = difficult to gain trust here
     • High household turnover - unrealistically tries to reconstruct past in an era of social fragmentation
     • Police consult with those unrepresentative but most powerful and loudest voices - middle class, while business men
   • PCSOs
     • Police Reform Act 2002
     • Limited enforcement powers
     • Visible foot patrol to improve public reassurance
     • Reduce demands of officers for tasks which do not need full extent of powers to resolve