In the contemporary world, some of the major challenges that have embodied the security system include the advancement in modes of crime, demographic and societal complexity and individualism, increase in channels of committing crime and more importantly the technological advancements that have revolutionized the crime sector (Giacomazzi, Riley & Merz, 2004). This has necessitated a change of planning especially on matters of response to crime and emergencies. The police have a role to protect the people through responding to crime and emergencies. As much as the people, rely on the police to ensure order and security, the police depend on the population to pick up the necessary information that can facilitate the follow-up process and response (Giacomazzi, Riley & Merz, 2004).
Community policing is one of the most responsive and effective strategy that has been recognized as suitable to handle the challenges facing the security system. Community policing is a strategy in which there exists a feasible link between the police and the citizens. This link provides a channel through which the tow can work together away from the traditional reactive responses to crime and emergencies to systems in which the community and the police work proactively towards a problem solving approach, law enforcement, prevention, community engagement as well as structured partnerships (Giacomazzi, Riley & Merz, 2004). This relationship is ideal for the current situation whereby crime has evolved from the traditional models of crime that could have otherwise be identified before they occur to where they are planned and executed within short durations. In this case, reporting crime seems to be the most effective aspect of dealing with the menace that has been described as crime (Giacomazzi, Riley & Merz, 2004).
Essentially, the police or security system cannot explicitly fulfill the role of searching for all information and acting on it simultaneously. The community thus acts as the source of information that the police can rely on in combating crime. The viability of this system is that it does not overburden the police force and offers the community a chance to act as the stakeholders to their security. When there are effective channels through which reporting can be achieved, then the response system is essentially transformed from reactive response to proactive response, it is one of the key aspects that has lacked within other policing strategies (Giacomazzi, Riley & Merz, 2004).
References
Giacomazzi, A. L., Riley, S., & Merz, R. (2004). Internal and external challenges to implementing community policing: examining comprehensive assessment reports from multiple sites. Criminal Justice Studies, 17(2), 223-238.
