The Origins of Community Policing Efforts

Re the article “Rewriting the Rules on How to Fight Crime,” Nov. 27:

Though your article briefly mentioned former Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis’ pioneering effort in the field of community policing, you gave little attention to Davis’ 1969-1976 major reorganization of the department (the first in 50 years) and Davis’ significant emphasis on implementing community team policing. Instead your article seems to give most of the credit for the community policing revolution to James Q. Wilson.

Since I played an active management role in the LAPD’s Community Policing Program, I feel compelled to see that Davis, Chief Daryl Gates and the LAPD in general get appropriate recognition for launching this concept nationwide and to other parts of the world.

Some of the sub-programs incorporated into the major program were basic car plan; team policing; neighborhood watch; police-community council; police-clergy council; police reserve corps and others.

During the period January 1970 through June 1977, crime in Los Angeles decreased 2.5%. During the same period crime throughout the U.S. increased 40%.

The LAPD’s success at this venture was achieved with fewer policemen than in other major cities. Los Angeles had 2.43 police officers per thousand population compared to 4.1 officers in other major U.S. cities.

I do not question Wilson’s academic contributions to police science and criminology and particularly his support of community policing. However I do believe that Davis, Gates and the LAPD in general should be recognized for initiating, and significantly contributing to, our nation’s community policing effort.

TOM HAIRE

LAPD Captain, retired

Rolling Hills Estates

Wilson’s ideas have failed miserably everywhere they have been tried. Every time a “community policing” program fails, it is renamed and forced on the people again. Like so many other idealistic programs, repeated failure is not a deterrent. We decide to declare it successful and continue on as if no failure occurred.

The educational requirements for policemen consist of a high school diploma or equivalent and about 20 weeks of academy training. They are put on the streets and asked to be social workers, child counselors, psychologists, anthropologists and targets. We already have all of the above professions in place, yet when they fail, it must be the fault of the police.

TOM G. MOORE

Temple City