Keywords
policing strategies, street gangs
Abstract
Law enforcement in America is under great scrutiny. Last year saw numerous calls for criminal justice reforms due to a perceived racial bias in policing strategies and policies. This crisis of public opinion poses a serious threat to police legitimacy in the coming years. Couple this with a public which increasingly does not trust police capabilities to solve crimes: since 2010, the number of violent crimes reported to police steadily declined, reaching a low of only 40% reported[1]. It is clear some reforms to the criminal justice system, and how it interacts with communities, are needed. One of the best ways to begin this task would be to focus on street gangs around the country. These illegal gangs represent a unique prospect for law enforcement to implement improved anti-crime strategies while also fostering relationships with the neighborhoods affected. This article proposes enacting changes to current community policing strategies in order to achieve a more effective community involvement and crime reduction status while increasing police legitimacy.
[1] John Gramlich. 20 November, 2020, What the Data Does Say (and Doesn’t Say) about Crime in the United States. FactTank, Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/
Included in
Bridging the Gap: Reconciling Research and Reality on Street Gang Prevention
Law enforcement in America is under great scrutiny. Last year saw numerous calls for criminal justice reforms due to a perceived racial bias in policing strategies and policies. This crisis of public opinion poses a serious threat to police legitimacy in the coming years. Couple this with a public which increasingly does not trust police capabilities to solve crimes: since 2010, the number of violent crimes reported to police steadily declined, reaching a low of only 40% reported[1]. It is clear some reforms to the criminal justice system, and how it interacts with communities, are needed. One of the best ways to begin this task would be to focus on street gangs around the country. These illegal gangs represent a unique prospect for law enforcement to implement improved anti-crime strategies while also fostering relationships with the neighborhoods affected. This article proposes enacting changes to current community policing strategies in order to achieve a more effective community involvement and crime reduction status while increasing police legitimacy.
[1] John Gramlich. 20 November, 2020, What the Data Does Say (and Doesn’t Say) about Crime in the United States. FactTank, Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/
