Styles and Strategies of Policing

Styles and Strategies of Policing

By Joseph Parish

Community policing conveys an array of expectations relating to the law enforcement departments of our society. These expected responses actually depend upon how we as individuals and groups view the roles set aside for the police within the confines of our system. If we exist within a center city atmosphere than our beliefs and observations are understandable different then those people who reside in a rural environment. It only stands to reason that when the officer’s understanding of their role and the citizen’s perception of that role are in conflict that problem often arise.

Not everyone perceives the officer’s role equally however these roles can be broken down into several diverse divisions. On the one hand we have those citizens who view the law enforcement personnel as community leaders devoted to public safety. They are afforded as a group the option of a broad discretion in the manner in which they conduct themselves and perform their job. Then you have some people who view the peace officers as a psychological crutch to provide resolutions on a short term basis. Lastly, you have a number of people who know the risks associated with the profession and appreciate their service within hostile environments.

Throughout the discussion we must continually keep in mind the aspects for which police work entails, such as rapid ability to make split instant decisions, the ability to work as an independent entity, and accomplishing the dangerous work which they do for the benefit of society as a whole.

Once the officer has completed his training and has been released in the field he often develops his own brand of operational style. During his study of eight different police departments there were three specific styles identified by James Q. Wilson in 1968. They were the Legalistic, Watchman and the Service style. The various typology associated with these three styles are just as useful today as it was when the styles were initially defined. I will attempt to compare the three styles in order to qualify one as more important then another.

Let’s briefly identify the first style offered by Wilson as the Legalistic style. This is the most typical of all for it concentrates upon the acts associated with violations of the law. Its principle tools lie in the use of threats and the ultimate act of arrest in order to resolve disputes between individuals. The legalistic style officer is commitment to following the letter of the law and often views his arrests as a focus upon community safety. This style is recurrently found within large metropolitan areas.