It's "official". According to a headline in today's Morning Call Local Section, "Allentown making shift to community policing" we're on our way to salvation, or at least we're on our knees praying for it.After all the announcements surrounding the public meetings that were held to present the new community policing model to the citizens, along with my column of several weeks ago, there wasn't much news in today's story, There was however an important point made by well-known consultant Dr. George Kelling: "Kelling said strong partnerships need to be forged within the community, a crime analysis needs to be done by neighborhood, and authorities should be as tough as possible to keep suspects off the streets. Kelling, in his assessment, also noted that a cooperative interaction between police and the community has generally been only at the highest levels of the police department, and didn't filter down.
Kelling has worked with cities across the country; as Shakespeare would say, Kelling knows of whence he speaks. And aside from the new response patterns for emergency and non-emergency calls, it's that aspect of the new plan that worries me the most...the relationship between the community and the police. Yes, the public can be demanding, and ill-informed, but the police can also be rude and arrogant. Not a good formula for Kelling's "cooperative interaction".
Yesterday's post about the experience of a west end family who was robbed, had their report taken on the phone, then couldn't get a copy of the report for their insurance company except between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., brought a lot of passionate responses and a couple of good stories.
Distilling the comments down, several key points emerge: Most citizens are looking for some level of customer service from their police department. This is not more complicated than politeness and concern and some amount of common sense.
"JR" pointed out that getting copies of police reports is primarily a function of the civilian employees of the APD whose hours are "8:00 - 4:00". Although that may explain the situation the family in question encountered, it's probably not too far "out there" to suggest than an adjustment or staggering of those civilian's hours might be in order to better serve the public.
But what was most disconcerting was the feeling by many posters that there is an adversarial relationship with the police. Community activist Scott Armstrong gave a specific example of what sounded like outright intimidation when he questioned the actions of an officer.
If community policing is going to work, it's going to require placing well trained, highly motivated officers into the neighborhoods, officers who want to be there, who believe in the concept of community policing, and are willing to invest the time and energy needed to build relationships. Until then, we're just whistling through the graveyard on our way to another year of record crime statistics. Oops, sorry, Allentown doesn't have record crime anymore; it's down 18%.
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11 comments:
Pam,
How much did we pay for this consultant? His advice sounds very obvious and basically common sense.
Except the new 'formula'.
Since when is 207 officers a full police force? Just because Pawlowski changed to number down to 207? Since when is it good policy for police not to respond to calls? Yes, they should prioritize calls, but they should respond when available. Oh yeah, with the new fully 'budgeted' number of 207 they can't respond...
This plan has been presented to justify an understaffed police force. Then the Mayor and City Council can say "But the consultant said it is okay...."
We have NO leadership in Allentown from elected officials (at any level of government) or other prominent community 'leaders'. Only pandering, spin, public relations and B.S.
This just seems to be more of the administration's usual flailing about in their search for solutions. Committees and outside experts are in charge of this city's direction which appears to many to be a long downward spiral.
Try not to think about it,that's my new plan.
Scott Armstrong
i agree with both joe and scott. obliviously taking george kelling around to the community meetings was a public relations exercise by pawlowski. pam, you many "give" the benefit of the doubt, but as a taxpayer i'm offended by theatrics. apparently the "broken window" theorist wants property owners to repair immediately, but the police and pick and choose which offenses to respond to?
I was just speaking about this yesterday. In order to have effective policing, the officers need to INTERACT more with the community. (Above the normal arresting, patting down, leering, and threatening horn blasts from their cruisers) They need to go into more of the the communities and speak TO the residents and not AT them, because I KNOW for a fact, many have an US versus THEM attitude toward the cops.
Alfonso
This isn't related at all, but we have that picture in our house.
Joe,
You know the old theory, if you keep saying it often enough, it becomes the truth.
207 is NOT a fully staffed police force. Even the 240 officers that was our high point years ago, is below where we should be for a city this size, but it sure would be better than the much promised 207, which we have yet to see.
I think very highly of George Kelling, but there is little doubt he was brought in to provide high-profile cover for this new emergency vs. non-emergency
response times.
Scott,
Just keep saying, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home", then click your ruby slippers twice. Maybe you'll wake up in the Allentown we were promised by the Wizard.
Alfonso,
Hopefully, if we ever get real community policing, that is exactly what they will be doing.
CP is about getting to know a neighborhood by building relationships and trust.
When we had it before, it worked well. But crime in the city has escalated since then. We'll see if it works this time...if we can ever get it in place.
A.J.
I know, it's a well-known old drawing. I does exactly what it is meant to do...remind us of a simpler time when the cop on the beat know everyone and everyone knew them...and trusted them.
I can remember very well, my parents telling me when I was little that if I was ever lost or scared or had any trouble while I was out playing to find the closest police officer and stay with him till they got there.
Pam, and Joe,,,,,207 is a "dumbed down" number now called full stafffing. It's been discussed, even published in Letters to the Editor, before, but a city Alllentown's size needs 400 plus. To be fair, the staggering losses APD has suffered would be hard to amke up even with good APD leadership, but without it, it's very hard.
Pam, I am astounded that you feel APD is not very community friendly "except at the highest levels." It is my experienced opinion that most of the "highest levels" actively engage in nothing more than blowing smoke up your skirt.
I hope you are not offended by that phrase....knowing you I doubt you are....but this police administration makes an art of saying exactly what the audience wants to hear any time they open their mouth.
It's not hard to catch them....just ask the same genuine questions of each, separately. Becuase they rarely communicate with each other I can assure you you'll quickly detect the honest one from the others.
Dr. Kelling is right on many levels with what he wants to do, but privately, secretly, he has doubts APD is committed under current leadership.....a leadership you know will be around for at least five more years thanks to the contract, largely designed to save their jobs, that was just "awarded" by the arbitrator.
Wish us luck, but we will be floundering for quite some time longer.
"You see, the ship's (APD) been taking on water for quite some time. Kind of like the Titanic...the wealthy passengers (WEst enders and Crime Watch leaders)don't know there's anything wrong because the captain and the crew keep telling them the ship is unsinkable. Meanwhile on the lower decks, the water is rising and people are drowning (cops and citizens)."
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