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Savanna Illinois Community Policing
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What is Community Policing? |
| Community Oriented Policing is defined by the United States Department of Justice as, "a policing philosophy that promotes and supports organization strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem solving tactics and police-community partnership." |
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Further quoting the USDOJ, "Community Oriented Policing is an integral part of achieving the goals of combating crime and improving the quality of life in the nation's towns, cities, and rural areas. Community Oriented Policing stresses the importance of police-citizen cooperation to control crime, maintain order, and improve the quality of life in America. The Community is an active partner with police in defining the problems, addressing the tactics used, and in the measurement of success." |
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"Community Oriented Policing brings the police and the community together into a closer working relationship. It calls for greater citizen responsibility, and it creates opportunity for citizens to contribute individually and collectively to public safety and quality of life. At the same time, Community Oriented Policing in many cases also calls for a restructuring of police agencies and refinement of their management techniques to allow the fullest use of department and community resources, and those of the community it serves." |
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| "This approach depends on an effective flow of information from sources inside and outside of the law enforcement agency. To be successful at Community Oriented Policing, the law enforcement agency should use community feedback to become more effective and equitable in its service delivery. This informed flexibility should allow law enforcement agencies to become more responsive to members of the community and their representatives, as well as to officers and their representatives." |
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| "Community Oriented Policing can improve the way in which crime control is accomplished. The ultimate goal is to maintain public safety in communities through better police work, while increasing the public's interaction and satisfaction with police services." |
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What is Savanna Doing Now?
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| The Savanna Police Department began Community Oriented Policing back in 1995. During the last five years we have initiated activities such as having officers on foot patrol in problem areas, as well as on Main Street so our officers become closer to the community. We have a very successful School Resource Officer program in our schools. |
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| We are now in our fourth year of the bicycle patrol program with much success. At this time bike officers are assigned to patrol problem areas within the community. The officers are responsible for calls within that area along with patrolling the area. During the last years, the Police Department has participated in a bicycle safety course, which is presented to the entire community. Many local businesses and civic organizations donated helmets and personnel to work the safety program along with the police officers. |
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What Are We Going To Do In The Future? |
| We are going to use all of our resources at our disposal, including federal and state grants. The Savanna Police department has plans for many Community Oriented Policing programs and projects. We intend to get our officers and our community working together proactively on a daily basis to identify and address community crime problems and assess our success or failure in an objective manner. The Police Chief is solidly on record in his goal of moving his agency into a "Community Policing Attitude." We are only limited by our resources and imagination as to what we can accomplish over the next few years. |
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Some of our future plans include, but are not limited to; a Citizens Police Academy. The goals of a Citizens Police Academy are to bridge the gap between our Police department and the community we serve and to let the public learn and understand the "how's and why's of law enforcement. The program will be open to anyone that is 21 years old and older. We will encourage all citizens to partake in the program. The program will last for ten weeks, meeting one night a week for three hours. The students will learn everything from criminal law and the vehicle code to patrol operations and the investigative techniques. There will be presentations from our bicycle patrol, K-9, Narcotics units and more. There will also be several hands on classes where students will be placed in simulated police situations. Classes will be taught by Savanna Police department employees with occasional outside speakers. At the end of the ten weeks there will be a graduation for those that successfully complete the program. Any questions or comments about the Citizens Police Academy can be directed to the Police Chief. |
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| In addition, our future plans include Officers involved daily with local schools, parents groups, and neighborhood groups. We intend to assign more "Community Oriented Policing projects" to every officer in the department. The projects will have specific goals and objectives. These projects will be monitored and critiqued for their effectiveness. |
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Community Oriented Policing is a philosophy, and as such there are no guidelines written in stone. We, the Savanna Police Department will carve out our own definition over the coming years by utilizing every resource at our disposal to involve all aspects of the community in combating crime, violence and drugs. |
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That is our pledge!!! |
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