A Guide to More Effective Police—Community Relations Through Media, Personal Engagement, and Collaborative Events

The landmark 2015 Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Policing clearly indicates that one of the most effective ways to reduce crime in communities large and small is by improving the relationship between police personnel and the populations that they serve. According to a Rand Corporation study, the average American citizen tends to feel that their local police are generally not friendly, rude, and overly authoritarian. This causes an abiding sense of disconnection, which adversely affects civilian willingness to inform local law enforcement about possible criminal activity, thereby negatively impacting the crime rates in that locality. The same Rand study asserted that by simply improving their communication style and finding ways to work together with local residents, those negative perceptions will be significantly reduced, which then leads to a corresponding decrease in crime. This paper further details these above-mentioned issues and provides accessible, simple, and effective solutions involving improvements in the manner in which law enforcement personnel communicate with their communities, as well as advancements in how the citizens and the cops can work together through a program of ongoing collaborations.