The Piqua Police Department has adopted
the "Community Policing" philosophy. This is a
proactive approach to policing that involves problem
identification and resolution, and creating partnerships
between the members of the police department and the community
they serve. Officers in the Piqua Police Department are
expected to be community resources to assist citizens in
solving problems within their neighborhoods. It is not
expected that the officer will be the only party in coming to
a problem solution, but that the officer will work with
residents and other city departments to provide a long-term
solution to problems.
There are two styles of law enforcement: reactive and
proactive. Reactive law enforcement is the old style of
doing police work. Basically, the officer would wait to
be dispatched to a call. Upon arrival, the officer would
take care of the problem at hand and then leave. He
would then wait on the next call. With this form of law
enforcement, the officers make no effort to ensure the problem
does not happen again.
The "Community Policing" philosophy is truly
"crime prevention". In this new style of law
enforcement, an officer talks with citizens and works with
them to identify their problems and concerns. After an
area of concern is identified, the officer then works with the
citizens to develop a plan to solve the problem. One key
point should be stressed: officers work "with" the
citizens. The officer does not tell the citizens what
the problem is and what to do to solve it. The solutions
may or may not involve the police department. Sometimes,
the officer acts as a resource guide for the citizens.
With reactive law enforcement, the officer is only concerned
with getting off at the end of the shift. An officer
involved in proactive law enforcement is concerned with the
improvement of the community as a whole.
Officers may be assigned to a specific geographic area or
neighborhood for a long term in order to provide them with the
opportunity to get to know neighborhood residents on a more
personal level, learn what they perceive as problems, and
develop ways of addressing those problems. A primary
part of the Piqua Police Department’s mission is improving
the quality of life within the city. Geographic beat
assignments provide a method of addressing these quality of
life issues in conjunction with the citizen.
By concentrating on one area, the team is able to
coordinate resources and tactics to solve the community’s
problems. By riding the bicycles, the officers are
better able to interact and talk with the citizens. It
puts them into closer contact and makes them more
approachable. The citizens feel free to stop and talk
with an officer about problems and concerns they may have.
From the beginning, Community Policing has been well
received by the community and has enjoyed great success.
The officers on the department look forward to many more years
of making a positive impact on the community in which they
serve and protect.
