For the Milwaukee Police Department and Fire and Police Commission
Chapter 4
Community Oriented Policing Practices
Finding 10
MPD does not have a formal, Department-wide strategy that guides officers, supervisors, and commanders in its community building efforts.
MPD should develop a department-wide community policing strategy.
The Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance program as initially designed was to include 18-months of technical assistance that would contribute to agencies’ fulfillment of the recommendations contained within the assessment report. Because, the draft “Community Policing Practices” assessment does not account for the MPD’s current practices in this area, and is not helpful in providing peer agency context, benchmarks or best practices, MPD is attempting to identify additional opportunities to receive assistance to fulfill draft recommendations, including engaging internal planning activities around creation of an agency-wide strategic plan.
The implementation of MPD’s community policing strategy is directly connected to articulating the mission of the department and physically organizing the department in a way consistent with that vision and mission. MPD employs the following community policing pillars in support of MPD’s mission. These programmatic building blocks, similar to those employed through peer urban agencies in the US, address the reality of extraordinary call loads on officers and the need to balance and prioritize community policing strategies.
District boundaries reflect natural neighborhood boundaries
District have their own radio channel;
Responsibility for civic engagement is conferred to the district captain whose responsibility it is to engage in problem solving activities, including block watches and neighborhood associations.
Community liaison officers and Community Prosecution Units assigned to districts;
Foot and bicycle beats are prioritized;
Specialty units are utilized, ex. Crisis Assessment Response Team, Crisis Intervention Team, Homeless Outreach Team, Office of Community Outreach and Education;
Grants are utilized to expand opportunities with residents and neighborhoods;
Expansion and development of new community and faith-based partnerships;
MPD’s goal is to embed the notion of community-building into policing so that it is not just about responding to calls for service and following up with investigation, but rather partnering with communities, engaging in preventative activities and using problem solving. Through its partnerships, MPD is able to constantly refine its best practices, be more effective, and depend on partners as liaisons to the communities.
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Officers should know many people in the area they patrol, preferably live in the districts they patrol, especially in the City of Milwaukee.
Community liaison officers can function as recipients of immediate neighborhood feedback.
The police must be part of the community, and the community must feel that they are here to protect and support the citizens.
MPDs involvement in collaborative efforts with community members to reduce crime should be increased. To achieve this, officers must be aware that they will have to cultivate collaboration, particularly in communities that have been estranged by prior MPD interventions. Additionally, all patrol officers should be required on a quarterly basis to engage in 12 to 20 hours of community service in the districts where they work.
MPD/Community Engagement Sessions. MPD/Community Engagement sessions should involve sessions that are held quarterly and/or as needed and, in addition to other topics, should focus on problem-oriented policing and Best Practices, especially those that have been determined by third-party research.
MPD officers should adopt the posture of being “guardians” rather than “warriors” unless exigent circumstances require otherwise. MPD officers, in developing positive police-community relations, should carry out their responsibilities, in every aspect of police work,
1. Officers should know as many people as possible in the areas they patrol. To achieve this, all patrol officers should be required to attend, periodically, neighborhood churches, and periodic meetings of neighborhood organizations, local celebratory activities and, also, MPD should sponsor celebratory activities, especially for youth.
(Addresses Selected Findings of Assessment Report, Community Engagement and Outreach, page 5)
2. MPDs involvement in collaborative efforts with community members to reduce crime should be increased. To achieve this, officers must be aware that they will have to cultivate collaboration, particularly in communities that have been estranged by prior MPD interventions. Additionally, all patrol officers should be required on a quarterly basis to engage in 12 to 20 hours of community service in the districts where they work.
(Addresses Selected Findings of Assessment Report, Community Oriented Policing Practices, #1, #2, pages 1-2; and Promotions, page 6
What if the department committed to monthly meetings between district representation and community groups (grassroot and resident-based) on strategies for improving public safety?