Community Policing in West Yorkshire
| Date | 01 April 1980 |
| Author | Daniel J. McKane |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8005300209 |
| Published date | 01 April 1980 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DANIEL
J.
McKANE
Commander, Detroit Police Department
COMMUNITY
POLICING
IN
WEST
YORKSHIRE
Commander McKane spent a year at the Cranfield Institute
of
Technology researching the West Riding Metropolitan Police's
Community
Constable scheme. His thesis is under consideration
for
the award
of
an M.Sc. Thefollowing is a
summary
ofhisfindings. as
submitted
to
the Mayor
of
Detroit, Mr. Coleman A. Young.
The object of my thesis was to compare the theory and practice of
community policing in West Yorkshire. 1also wanted to determine
whether competent, well-motivated community constables could
have a positive impact in areas of social and economicdisadvantage.
To accomplish this, the thesis proceeds in the following manner:
I. A delineation of the history and relevant traditions of British
policing, to illustrate how, from its inception, policing has been
traditionally considered acommunity effort. This history
demonstrates how the tradition has eroded, especially since
World
War
II,
through
a series of economic changes comprising
industrial growth, increased mobility, adramatic increase in the
minority population, and community fragmentation.
It isagainst this background
that
the communityconstablescheme
was begun in May,
1"974,
by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police.
The first three sections of Force Standing
Order
No. 70* outline the
goals of the scheme and are reproduced below (the aims of the
community constable scheme are very similarto those
ofthe
Detroit
Police mini-station program):
COMMUNITY
CONSTABLE
SCHEME
Introduction
I. The Community Constable scheme is intended to foster
and
develop agood relationship with all members of the public,
especially in
problem
areas, with regular patrols by police officers
who are well known and are identified with those areas. The
Community Constable acts as the spearhead member of a team,
comprising foot and
car
patrols
and
vandal detectives, whose
aim is to gain the confidence
and
support of the public in
enforcing the law by involvement in community activities and
providing afriendly, personal service.
2. The Scheme is a Divisional responsibility
and
subject to normal
supervision.
Police Journal
April
1980 154
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