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NEWS of the Week - July 1 to July 7, 2013
on some NAACC / LACP issues of interest

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NEWS of the Week
on some issues of interest to the community policing and neighborhood activist across the country

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following group of articles from local newspapers and other sources constitutes but a small percentage of the information available to the community policing and neighborhood activist public. It is by no means meant to cover every possible issue of interest, nor is it meant to convey any particular point of view ... We present this simply as a convenience to our readership ...

NOTE: To see full stories either click on the Daily links or on the URL provided below each article.

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July 7, 2013

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Haiti

Haiti's First Officers of the Community Police take the Streets

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - With 38 officers, including 6 women, a new body of Haitian National Police (PNH) with the strategy of close cooperation with the local population was created. In cooperation with the U.S. government, the Community Police received two months of training in human rights, communication, first aid and stress management.

The Chief Inspector Etienne Jean Salvador of the Community Police said these agents, mostly from the last promotion of the HNP will be deployed initially in the metropolitan area and throughout the Department of the West.

The new graduates will help to heal the image of the PNH in the eyes of the population, according to the director general of the police institution, Godson Orelus.

"Many people complain about the irreverent behavior of the police," he said. "We will change that." However, the commander of the PNH noted that Haitian authorities did not intend to transform the police into an angelic institution. "Only courtesy will be central to their concerns."

"The task will not be easy to do, because you inherit a remote police to the people and vice versa," warned Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe before rejoicing about the opportunity for the new community police to change the status quo.

http://www.defend.ht/politics/articles/defense/4682-first-officers-of-the-community-police-take-the-streets

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New Zealand

New Papua community policing program planned

The police chief in Indonesia's Papua province, Inspector General Tito Karnavian, says a community policing program is about to be started in the province.

The Jakarta Post reports that the program is being provided by the Dutch government via the International Organisation for Migration and is aimed at improving the relationship between the police and the public.

General Karnavian says the program is for three years and will start with a series of research projects conducted by Cendrawasih University.

He says the research is expected to be finished by the end of this year and police will use the results for the training program. The program has been designed to provide police officers with additional skills and knowledge in health, teaching, agriculture and religion.

As many as 4,000 police officers throughout Papua will participate in the program. New Zealand has previously provided training in community policing in the Papua region.

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=77303

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July 6, 2013

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Oakland, California

Oakland Police Meet with Merchants, Citizens After Wingstop Restaurant Homicides

Pamela Drake, director of the Lakeshore Business Improvement District, said merchants and residents are concerned about a recent spike in street robberies in the area.

Oakland police held a community meeting in the city's Grand Lake neighborhood today (Wednesday) to try to reassure merchants and residents in the wake of a double murder at a Wingstop restaurant Monday night and a recent surge in street robberies.

Pamela Drake, director of the Lakeshore Business Improvement District, said she believes the meeting, held at the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, helped business owners and residents understand that the Police Department's new neighborhood policing plan aims to decrease response times.

"There's more police accountability to specific areas and people can see that the police infrastructure is pulling together," Drake said.

The Police Department recently switched to a new system that breaks up the city into five police districts, each with its own captain.

Drake said she and others who live and work in the area hope that the fatal shooting of two employees at the Wingstop restaurant at 528 Lake Park Ave. late Monday night was an isolated incident because police say they don't think robbery was the motive.

http://piedmont.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/oakland-police-meet-with-merchants-citizens-after-wingstop-restaurant-homicides

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New Zealand
 
Netherlands introduces ‘community policing' to Papua Police  

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said the police would soon commence a community policing program that was aimed at improving the relationship between the police and the public.

He said the program was provided by the Dutch government via the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He added the program had a three-year duration and would be started with series of research projects conducted by the state-owned Cendrawasih University.

“We will use the research results for the program,” he said.

He said the research was expected to be finished by the end of this year.

The program has been designed to provide police officers with additional skills and knowledge on health, teaching, agriculture and religion. As many as 4,000 police officers throughout Papua will participate in the program. (fan/dic)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/03/netherlands-introduces-community-policing-papua-police.html

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July 5, 2013

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Vancouver Island

Community policing opens doors

The South End's Community Policing program is celebrating the one year anniversary of its Mill Bay Centre office with a special event on Thursday, July 4 from 4-6 p.m.

According to Julie Rosenthal, the centre's program coordinator, there's lots to be happy about.

"We launched our Friendly Phones, where we call people who want to get a phone call every day. That's been a great program, and just recently we've started our positive tickets program with the RCMP.

"That started June 15 and there's a draw Sept. 28. Kids are ticketed for doing something right, like wearing their helmets, or helping in the community, walking on the proper side of the road. It's all about noticing when they are doing something good. And the RCMP officers give out those tickets," she said.

Mounties go out looking for those kids.

"They go out to skateparks and other places. It was interesting that Const. Kevin Hopkinson said the first time he went to the skatepark the kids wouldn't go near him but after about the third time they all started coming up and saying hello. The purpose of that program is definitely building that relationship with the youth and the police," Rosenthal said.

http://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/living/community-policing-opens-doors-1.336975

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Ohio

Team community policing unit debuts in Downtown Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio - The safety of the people who live and work in Downtown Toledo is the focus of a new, unique patrol team.

13 ABC's Christine Long went on a ride-a-long with the unit which hit the streets this week for the first time.

This is the blending of two law enforcement agencies.  One Toledo Police officer and one Lucas County Sheriff's deputy are working together in one vehicle to patrol the downtown business district.

Their goal is to cut crime downtown.

Wednesday marks Day Number Three for this freshly painted squad car and its new team.

"It's not all the time about arresting. It's all about helping," says TPD Officer Tony Duncan.

http://www.13abc.com/story/22755434/team-community-policing-unit-debuts-in-downtown-toledo

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July 4, 2013

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Detroit

Detroit to expand community policing program after decline in home invasions

A pilot program that launched a year ago and aimed at reducing home invasions in Detroit's Grandmont Rosedale community is expected to expand to other parts of the city.

“My No. 1 priority is reducing violence in this city,” incoming Police Chief James Craig said during a news conference today in the tree-lined community in northwest Detroit where officials said home invasions decreased by about 25% percent in a one-year period.

Craig, who officially starts his new job Monday, said he plans to replicate many of the strategies used to reduce home invasions in the area — which went down from 269 to 201 — in other parts of the city.

“I want to continue to look at the home invasion,” he said. “Nothing strikes fear in a community more than people's home being burglarized.”

The pilot program involved residents, the Detroit Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections and the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, which funded the initiative.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130627/NEWS01/306270096/Detroit-community-policing-program-Grandmont

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Nigeria

British-Nigeria community policing project moves to Enugu, Kano, Abuja others

The British-Nigeria community policing project will soon spread to other parts of Nigeria, following the success recorded in Lagos, www.allvoices.com reporter can authoritatively say.

The project, a partnership between the British and Nigerian government is aimed at training people at the community level across the 774 local government areas and 36 states of the federation on the need to work with the police as the most visible government security agency to tackle insecurity.

Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria was chosen be the British team as the pilot state for the commencement of the project, even as   Josephine Effah-Chukwuma,   coordinator of Justice-4-All, is the anchor person between the two countries.

Checks revealed that Isokoko, Adeniyi Adele, Ilupeju, Bar Beach and Ikoyi police stations are some of the stations in Lagos, south-west Nigeria where the police-public partnership project has been successfully implemented.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/14918776-britishnigeria-community-policing-project-moves-to-enugu-kano-abuja-others

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Malaysia

Solving crime through community policing

Instead of talking about re-introducing Emergency Ordinance, the government should prioritize to solve crime without violating human rights.

The attempt by the government and its media to pin the blame for the rising incidence of crime on the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance is a devious attempt to reintroduce detention without trial.

This is a further indication of the Najib administration's rather tenuous adherence to democratic reform.

There are at least three strong reasons for opposing any return to detention without trial:

1. It is a gross violation of human rights.

2. The detention of the six PSM leaders has exposed the arbitrary use of EO

3. Other countries have succeeded in solving crime without “preventive” laws

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/07/04/solving-crime-through-community-policing/

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Wilmington

Community policing officers to interact with Wilmington residents in city parks

Beginning Wednesday and continuing through the end of August, Wilmington residents can interact with their community policing officers each week while enjoying the safety of the city's parks.

Each Wednesday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., the Community Policing Unit will be stationed in a different park across the city to allow adults and children to meet their community police officers in a casual environment.

Different informational activities also will be presented in the parks that residents can take part in, said Cpl. Jamaine Crawford.

The scheduled events are aimed at creating a safe haven this summer for city residents within their neighborhoods, Crawford said.

For information, call Master Sgt. Walter Ferris at 379-9273.

Contact Terri Sanginiti at 324-2771 or tsanginiti@delawareonline.com

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130703/NEWS01/307030075/Community-policing-officers-interact-Wilmington-residents-city-parks

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Europe


Crime rise raises question about community policing for G8

ULSTER Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has questioned the level of community policing during the G8 summit last month after it emerged crime in North Fermanagh has increased.

Mr Elliott says "a number of community police officers" were taken from their regular duty in the weeks leading up to, and during the summit, with many of them tasked to focus on G8-related work.

"I am conscious that crime levels have risen in a number of areas and I am obviously worried that some police officers haven't had the opportunity to work in their own area during the long period of the overall G8 operation.

"It is important that even though this was a very important event the wider community of Fermanagh require the services of police, I trust that they will now have the time and opportunity to devote to those local communities that may not have had the level of police attention they would expect during the past four months," said Mr Elliott.

http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2013/07/04/401529-crime-rise-raises-question-about-community-policing-for-g8/

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July 3, 2013

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Massachusetts

UMass Dartmouth Department of Public Safety wins 'Best Small Community Police Force' award

DARTMOUTH — The New England Association of Chiefs of Police named the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's Department of Public Safety New England's “Best Small Community Police Force of 2013.”

The association's chairman, Theodore Smith, the chief of police in Lincoln, N.H., presented the department with the award Monday morning.

UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman said it was the first time a university police department has been named the award's recipient. It is the third time the award has been given.

“The Department of Public Safety has demonstrated what a world-class university police force looks like,” Grossman said. “My fellow presidents and chancellors have all complimented our police force.”

She further noted compliments university police received in collaborating with FBI investigators in the days and weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings and then last week from the Secret Service when Vice President Joe Biden visited the campus to stump for U.S. Rep. Edward Markey's bid for the Senate.

http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x273423705/UMass-Dartmouth-Department-of-Public-Safety-wins-Best-Small-Community-Police-Force-award

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Detroit

Delmont police patrols help to engage public, deter crime

Officer Blake Danowski stepped out of his squad car to walk along a bustling neighborhood street in Delmont as his radio crackled in the background.

He scanned Apple Hill Drive, frequently stopping to chat up dog-walkers and porch-sitters enjoying the warm Friday night.

“You just want the presence in the community,” Danowski said. “You can't deter crime without the community.”

Delmont police Chief T.J. Klobucar calls the foot patrol a public relations strategy to engage residents.

It also works as a crime deterrent, officers said.

http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4237540-74/community-danowski-police#axzz2XzsGF7sA

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Illinois

Community policing adds overview of Islam to officers' toolbelt

Rockford-area leaders aim to reduce racial, cultural bias in police work

ROCKFORD — Shpendim Nadzaku perhaps took a step Friday in bridging a cultural divide.

The Muslim Association of Greater Rockford imam's skull cap, traditional white robe and his thick beard, which hung just beyond his shoulders, stood in contrast to the mostly clean-shaven law-enforcement faces looking back at him.

It was all part of a tour police chiefs and command staff from Rockford, Rockford Park District, Loves Park, Winnebago, Cherry Valley and Winnebago County took of the Muslim Community Center mosque in hopes of improving cultural awareness.

Police officers unfamiliar with the myriad cultures that make up the Muslim community could find Nadzaku's dress, accent and manner strange. On the other hand, some of the 500 Muslims who regularly attend services at the mosque, 5921 Darlene Drive, have a deep distrust of law enforcement.

“By being able to understand and learn more about each other it helps to alleviate ignorance that sometimes can cause problems,” Nadzaku said.

Among the next steps to enhance police efforts in the Muslim community is to send female officers to meet and talk with the group's women's committee.

http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1808709338/Community-policing-adds-overview-of-Islam-to-officers-toolbelt#axzz2XzuCDrhq

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July 2, 2013

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New York City

Community Safety and Police Accountability


Crime is an issue in our community and the police play an important role when it comes to crime fighting, but for our community to enjoy peace and not just an absence of violence, it must be free both of the fear of crime and fear of the police. The best policing is that which is done in true partnership with the community being served. It is respectful of the culture and history of the community.

It is policing that plays to the positives of the community with the goal of building and supporting the community's leadership and capacity. It is built on trust based on a belief in shared values. This type of policing will be well appreciated by the community and promote mutual respect and good will for the officers on local patrol as well as the entire NYPD.

This is not the type of policing that is taking place in the South Bronx, in Harlem or in of the city's black and brown communities. The kind of policing that takes place in our communities assumes negativity or hostility on the part of the community. It is crime prevention based on instilling fear of the police and base on the assumption that all black and brown people, but especially the young men, are always ready to engage in wrong doing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julio-pabon/community-safety-and-poli_b_3496603.html

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Virginia

LPD: Community Policing Helped Lower Crime Stats

Lynchburg, VA - The Lynchburg police department is pleased with new crime statistics, showing the total number of incidents was down in 2012.

The state police released the annual report this week, showing property crime is down significantly from the year before.

Police attribute several things to lowering the number of property crimes last year -- everything from social media to vigilant citizens.

Sirens. It's a sound no one wants in their neighborhood. And if you live in Lynchburg, you may be hearing it less.

"We are pleased with that. But we also understand that we still have a lot of work to do," said Captain Whit Clark.

http://www.wset.com/story/22656775/lpd-community-policing-helped-lower-crime-stats

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Oakland Begins Implementing Community Policing Plan To Fight Crime

OAKLAND (KCBS / KPIX 5) – Starting Saturday, Oakland will take a big step towards fully implementing its neighborhood policing plan by assigning officers to one of five newly identified districts in the city.

The goal is to keep officers within these narrowly defined areas to improve response times and allow captains in charge of each district to have greater say over distribution and use of resources.

“So we're (re-organizing) the department to allow the captains to more quickly respond to crime patterns in their area,” explained interim police chief Sean Whent.

“It's kind of the first major step of implementing the crime prevention plan that the city paid the contractors for,” he added. “So, we're starting.”

Former Los Angeles police chief  William Bratton is among those paid consultants who recommended changes  in the wake of skyrocketing crime throughout Oakland.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/06/04/oakland-to-begin-assigning-officers-to-community-policing-districts/

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July 1, 2013

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Pennsylvania

Delmont police patrols help to engage public, deter crime

Officer Blake Danowski stepped out of his squad car to walk along a bustling neighborhood street in Delmont as his radio crackled in the background.

He scanned Apple Hill Drive, frequently stopping to chat up dog-walkers and porch-sitters enjoying the warm Friday night.

“You just want the presence in the community,” Danowski said. “You can't deter crime without the community.”

Delmont police Chief T.J. Klobucar calls the foot patrol a public relations strategy to engage residents.

It also works as a crime deterrent, officers said.

http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4237540-74/community-danowski-police#axzz2XmcXzafh

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Hawaii

Community joins police to reduce Waikiki crime

On almost any day or night in Waikiki, it's possible to see violent crime, street fights, drug deals, prostitutes, theft, graffiti, litter, runaway kids, loud drunks, or people using the streets as their personal toilet, says resident John Dew.

"We're fed up with it," said Dew, a Waikiki Neighborhood Board member who recently joined a Honolulu Police Department security watch to help protect the district where he has lived for decades. "In the 1960s and 1970s, Waikiki was warm and fuzzy. Realistically, now I'd say that there are areas that are very dangerous. The crime is the worst that it's been ... violent, too."

Waikiki police say they don't think crime in their district has grown; however, they acknowledge it's important to respond promptly and focus on deterrence. They've stepped up efforts to recruit more residents and businesses to join security watches and patrols to make their neighborhoods safer.

Waikiki now has five neighborhood security watches and one neighborhood patrol, and the district soon will add a business security watch, said HPD Officer John DeMello, who met with Dew and other Waikiki residents recently to promote community involvement in policing.

http://www.menafn.com/7eeca670-a860-4f8f-9efc-4a8dca2c0fbe/Community-joins-police-to-reduce-Waikiki-crime?src=main

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Vermont

Training programs help police reduce racial profiling

BRATTLEBORO -- The Rutland Police Department is a good example of a law enforcement agency that is making all of the right moves to reduce racial profiling, said Curtiss Reed, Jr., the executive director of the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, which offers bias-free policing training at law enforcement agencies around the state.

"The police department has taken on a leadership role," said Reed. It's done so by cultivating relationships with other agencies and is redefining its law enforcement narrative by returning to community policing.

"They've reconfigured the map of the city in terms of quadrants and assigned one sergeant to each quadrant," he said.

Recently, Reed was in Rutland, conducting training with Rutland police officers and some members of the Vermont State Police. Part of the training is to help officers understand their own social identity and how that drives their own perceptions on the job.

"How do you compensate for that in your police work?"

http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_23573134/rsquo-doing-work-rsquo-training-programs-help-police

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