Philosophy to keep crime down works
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GET INVOLVED
Phone 573-3221 to find out what you can do to partner with police.
Also, phone the Crime Prevention Unit at 485-3808.
A definition can be found for "community policing," but it is put in rather pompous wording: "a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder and fear of crime."
Simply put, community policing is a grassroots effort involving partnerships between the community and law enforcement to tailor methods to solve criminal activity in specific areas.
We encourage more "community policing" because it fosters good relationships with residents and law enforcement while curbing crime in the city, and that saves money and lives.
"Part of the Victoria Police Department general orders specifically states that 'The chief of police and city manager of Victoria, along with personnel of the entire police department, are committed to the concept of community policing and community service.' We believe that community policing is the best philosophy for doing police work. Hands down," said Victoria Police Chief Bruce Ure.
Recently, such a method was used in the Wildwood Street area, where residents asked police to help them retake the neighborhood from its downward path. Officers on bicycles roamed the neighborhood, met residents and addressed anything that would lead to disorder.
Also, the Advocate's "Most Fascinating" series introduced us to Shane Wallace, a senior patrol officer with the Victoria Police Department. Wallace takes the time to bring food to the hungry, raise money for fellow officers when they are in need and organizes charitable efforts. In doing these deeds, Wallace gained the trust of the community, something many police officers have a hard time doing because of the bad-cop stigma.
But Wallace has shown that police officers need not be feared. He is just like any of us except maybe more caring for others than most of us.
"Bottom line is that the only true solution in attacking community crime and decay involves a committed partnership between citizens and local law enforcement. We also believe in informing our community on acts of criminal activity, rather than keeping it "secret," as our citizens must be aware of the crime activity in our city, so that they can better understand what is going on around them and so that they can be our eyes and ears.
"CrimeReports.com is a great example of VPD community policing. Every six hours, this free Web site is automatically updated with VPD calls for service. You can even have it notify you via e-mail when a crime occurs in your neighborhood. Knowledge of criminal activity and a partnership between VPD and the community is essential. We feel very fortunate to have citizens who truly care about our community and are willing to be our partners," Ure said.
We agree and encourage residents to partner with our police for a safer community and to be free of crime as much as possible.
This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.
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Zorro, I agree with your distillation of community concepts of law enforcements' objectives and also their perceived exception treatment in comparison to the general populous.
Now organized gangs and cartels used the same playbooks from the past with guns, knives, and worse. Plus we have the drug driving insane break ins that need items to sell along with other general thieves, murders, etc.
We are asked to help to help as a community to drive them away? Is this a line from Frankenstein? We get the pitchforks and sticks? I sort of have a problem with all of this. The community puts our lives at risk and the police reap all the benefits and wear the flak jackets.
I am proud that a neighborhood drives crime out --but stop and think an minute --those same criminals go some place else --so is it to your neighborhood?
That is what they were doing in Houston. Chasing them to neighborhood to neighborhood and giving the police credit for each neighborhood cleaned. It was the SAME criminals. some little fish were caught--There were cops and robbers and murders just playing chase around that city.
So when we applaud driving them out of a subdivision --ask where they went? To your sisters, mothers, brothers or granny's house? You know they did not leave Victoria. That takes a lot of manpower and money to have that happen. I don't think that is in Victoria's budget. It was not in Houston's either. The criminals just keep poppin up.
So the hypothesis may appear sound --but all you are doing is just running fleas into another yard when you spray. Unless you spray the entire city it won't work.
November 20, 2009 at 10:15 a.m.Community policing is just a logical reaction to the long-accepted "broken window" theory of urban decay. It first came to the public's attention when it was applied, brilliantly and to great and lasting effect, in New York City during Rudy Giuliani's mayoralty. The Victoria Police Department's application of it in neighborhoods that are clearly in need of it is to be applauded.
Zorro, your postings are getting boringly predictable. You should consider getting a life or, failing that, at least try to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
November 19, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.Any chance you get huh Zorro? So predictable!
November 19, 2009 at 8:21 a.m.My musings on "community policing."
It would seem that in order for "community policing" to be effective, everyone needs to feel they are equal stakeholders and have a bona fide voice in the process.
There are a couple of perceptions, shared by many people, that is getting in the way of effective "community policing." Right or wrong, many people feel far too many tickets are issued for the sole purpose of generating revenue for the city. Right or wrong, many people feel police operate on a do as I say, not do as I do.
Those of us who don't witness and see first hand the dangerous side of policing are more prone to focus on the traffic citations side of law enforcement. Right or wrong, a lot of us think police get off with a wink and a nod when they speed or do something, for lack of a better word, stupid. Assuring the public that these widely held perceptions are wrong would seem to be a high priority for the Chief of Police. To the contrary though, he seems to go out of his way to defend the indefensible. Whether it is his initiative and policy, or an errant effort to control crime, he simply won't acknowledge a mistake, political or otherwise. Working with the public can be difficult and challenging in many vocations and public relations problems are not the exclusive domain of the police department. Every business that deals with the public has to develop successful strategies. Blaming the customer is usually the wrong way to deal with problems. More tactful approaches seem to have a higher percentage of success.
November 17, 2009 at 7:33 p.m.I agree that without community envolvement the police will not be very effective pro-actively. Having said that (or written that) Community Policing is not a new concept. This has been around in different forms since the mid-nineties in Victoria. Nothing new - just a new look and spin.
November 17, 2009 at 5:12 p.m.