About Community Policing
*The Town of Rural Hall’s Community Policing Officers are typically on duty seven days a week from 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM. If you ever have an emergency, call 911 (not Town Hall or the non-emergency number above).
Plan to be away for a few days?
You can request for community policing to do a security check while you are out-of-town or away from your home. You can call the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Line at 336-727-2112 to request a security check. We can take your information over the phone, or you can email the following information to townhall@ruralhall.com: the dates you will out-of-town, name, address, contact number(s), and a list of anyone who will be visiting the home and reason, any vehicles that will be at the residence, and if any lights will be left on.
What is Community Policing?
When Professor Herman Goldstein of the University of Wisconsin Law School developed the concept of problem-oriented policing (also known as community policing and neighborhood policing), he must have envisioned what an important role this theory would have on the future of police work. Professor Goldstein’s theory is based mostly on what seems to be a common-sense way of approaching crime problems in the community, that is, to address the problems that cause or encourage criminal activity not merely to enforce the laws that prohibit such activities. At the heart of every community-oriented policing program is this concept.
In theory, community-oriented policing is straight-forward and easy to understand, but in many places, implementing such a program has proven difficult and time consuming because for decades police work has generally focused on highly traditional and rigid law enforcement tactics. These traditional tactics generally include the police officer responding to a call for help from a citizen, then recording all the relevant data surrounding the case, then attempting to solve the individual crime. “But if responding to incidents is all that the police do, the community problems that cause or explain many of these incidents will never be addressed, and so the incidents will continue and the number will perhaps increase.” (James Q. Wilson, “Making Neighborhoods Safe,” The Atlantic Monthly, 2/89.)
Three elements must be present before a crime can be committed:
- Someone must be motivated to commit the crime;
- A suitable target must be present;
- The target must be (relatively) unguarded. (Lawrence Cohen, “Social Change and Crime Rate Trends,” American Sociological Review 8/89.)
Community-oriented policing works to eliminate one or more of these elements by reducing motivation or opportunities for individuals to commit crimes. In-depth analysis of the factors that encourage crime can lead to a successful crime reduction program. For example, in community-oriented policing, after responding to many requests for service in a particularly dark alley, the police might take steps to improve the lighting to reduce the opportunity that exists for thieves and robbers to attack people.
Community-oriented policing is easily linked to the “broken window” theory (invented by well-known police theorist James Q. Wilson), which holds that simply fixing broken windows, improving lighting and cleaning up an area that is associated with high crime has a much greater impact on reducing crime and the opportunity to commit crime than merely assigning more police personnel to the area. By fixing these “broken windows,” whatever they may be, the community slowly regains pride in living in the area. As a result, citizens who feared the streets begin to come out and use them again, reinforcing the community’s support for the police and community-oriented policing. In the past several years, many communities have experienced tremendous benefits from community-oriented police programs.
The benefits that come with community-oriented policing are numerous. Almost immediately, the police department establishes a better rapport with the community. Police officers enter an area that is experiencing high rates of crime and become not only law enforcers, but social agents who are really concerned about the community’s problems and the reduction of crime and fear. When police officers become involved in the community at this level, they become community organizers, planners and educators. This not only benefits the community but it gives the individual police officer increased job satisfaction. Community-oriented policing introduces philosophical changes in the nature of police work that allow police executives to implement more modern management practices that would be ineffective in the traditional, highly centralized, bureaucratic organizational structures existing in many police departments. These practices include allowing lower ranking officers to become more involved in crime reduction programs and “mid-level managers can further encourage effective and innovative efforts by rewarding the officers who undertake them.” Instead of concentrating on ticket writing and responding to calls, officers become problem solvers and innovators who are seen by citizens as community leaders. The entire police department must shift its focus from “internal efficiency to external effectiveness.” (John Eck, “The Police and the Delivery of Local Government Services,” Police Journal, 3/89.) The end result is that police officers and departments learn how to work together with the citizens they serve, within the department and with other police departments and other local government agencies. United police efforts benefit society and the department, as citizens begin to wholeheartedly support the efforts of the police department.
How Does Community Policing Differ From Traditional Policing?
Traditional Policing:
- Invisible
- Indirectly available
- Impersonal
- Specialist
- Strategic response
Community Policing:
- Visible
- Available
- Personal
- Generalist
- Responds appropriately
What Can a Community Expect From Community Policing?
- Increase in calls, initially
- Increase in response time when officer is on duty
- Necessity for call screening and differential response
- Decrease in arrests
- Increase in community leadership by citizens and officers
- Increase in community respect of Community Policing Officer
- More authority given to Community Policing Officer
- Increase in Community Policing Officer’s satisfaction
- Increase in quality of life for community
- Community Policing Officer participates with citizen groups, businesses, neighborhoods and individuals to solve problems.
Key Elements to the Success of Community Policing:
- Identify the role of the Community Policing Officer
- Clear Direction to Community Policing Officer
- Open communication with Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department leaders
- Open communication with other County Officers, especially those working in the area
- Formal training for Community Policing Officer
- Scheduling of work days and hours
- Media
- Community involvement; business, neighborhood, individual and citizen interaction
- Establish good working relationships with elected officials, manager and staff
- Establish good working relationships with other agencies (Fire Dept., Schools, etc.)
- Thorough knowledge of Town Ordinance
- Evaluation of community policing program
What Does a Community Expect of Police?
Safety and security.
Traditional Policing Methods:
- Make arrests
- Respond quickly
- Citizen Respect
- Paramilitary organization
Community Policing Methods:
- Prevent Crime
- Respond appropriately
- Improve quality of life/citizen cooperation
- Increase officer authority
Community Watch Program
What Is Community Watch?
It is communities organized to be the eyes and ears of the police. Reporting suspicious activities and persons to the Sheriff’s Office as soon as they are observed. Community Watch is a way citizens can work together to prevent crime.
How does Community Watch work?
It operates to educate participants in principles of deterrence, delay, and detection. It depends on a communication network organized with three levels; the resident, block captains, and co-captains, and the Community Outreach of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. However, the key is that you report suspicious activities to law enforcement.
It operates to educate participants in principles of deterrence, delay, and detection. It depends on a communication network organized with three levels; the resident, block captains, and co-captains, and the Community Outreach of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. However, the key is that you report suspicious activities to law enforcement.
Community Watch Organization Procedure:
We appreciate your desire to establish a Community Watch Program in your community! The following steps by you and your neighbors prior to re-contacting the Sheriff’s Office can assure successful implementation of a Community Watch Program.
We appreciate your desire to establish a Community Watch Program in your community! The following steps by you and your neighbors prior to re-contacting the Sheriff’s Office can assure successful implementation of a Community Watch Program.
Step 1:
Contact your neighbors and see if they want the program.
Contact your neighbors and see if they want the program.
Step 2:
If it is determined that you and your neighbors want the program, the next step is to:
A: Select a block captain and a co-captain.
B: Establish a calling list with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people who will be participating in your Community Watch.
If it is determined that you and your neighbors want the program, the next step is to:
A: Select a block captain and a co-captain.
B: Establish a calling list with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people who will be participating in your Community Watch.
Step 3:
Contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach Unit to select a date to meet with your neighbors. From the dates available, the Community Outreach Unit will schedule the Community Watch Team for a meeting with your neighbors.
Contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach Unit to select a date to meet with your neighbors. From the dates available, the Community Outreach Unit will schedule the Community Watch Team for a meeting with your neighbors.
Upon completion of the above steps, the Community Watch Program in your neighborhood will be off to a fine start! It is the hopes of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office that this Community Watch Team concept will assist you in the reduction or elimination of crime within your community.
For more information, contact Corporal Butch Moore with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office:
Cell: 336-843-0937 | Communications: 336-727-2112
Cell: 336-843-0937 | Communications: 336-727-2112
National Night Out Event
Next event date & time to be determined...
‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ – is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and is observed the first Tuesday in August. The first National Night Out was held in 1984. Nationwide, 2.5 million Americans participated in the 1984 event. Since 1984, the event has grown to involve more than 34 million people in over 10,000 communities from all 50 states, US territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.
Rural Hall first participated in National Night Out in 2005. Two block parties were held on National Night Out with two more held in the following weeks. Despite the intense summer heat, events have been held each year since 2005.
National Night Out is designed to:
- Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
- Generate support for and participation in local anticrime efforts;
- Strengthen neighborhood spirit; and,
- Send a message to criminals that our neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
To organize an event for your neighborhood, contact Lynette E. Hendrick at Town Hall at (336)969-6856 or via email.
Senior Citizens (Elder Abuse, Elder Scams, ScamBusters)
Elder Abuse
If you suspect elder abuse, immediately contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office 336-727-2112.
Elder abuse crosses all social, economic and ethnic lines. Any elderly person could be victimized. It is important to recognize signs that may be associated with abuse. Awareness enables neighbors, family and friends to spot trouble immediately. Following are potential scenarios:
Physical Abuse
Sharon, 84, lives with her grandniece. Her home and environment are clean; however, the landlord often noticed bruises on Sharon’s face and arms. Suspecting abuse, he calls the Sheriff’s Office. After assessing the situation, it is determined that Sharon has been beaten and slapped by her grandniece.
Sharon, 84, lives with her grandniece. Her home and environment are clean; however, the landlord often noticed bruises on Sharon’s face and arms. Suspecting abuse, he calls the Sheriff’s Office. After assessing the situation, it is determined that Sharon has been beaten and slapped by her grandniece.
Psychological/Emotional Abuse
Arthur, 77, has his house cleaned twice a week by a neighborhood volunteer. A next door neighbor doesn’t see Arthur for several weeks so he calls the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators discover the volunteer often isolates Arthur and verbally abuses him.
Arthur, 77, has his house cleaned twice a week by a neighborhood volunteer. A next door neighbor doesn’t see Arthur for several weeks so he calls the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators discover the volunteer often isolates Arthur and verbally abuses him.
Financial Abuse
Maria, 81, resides alone. A friend suggests she accept a boarder to help with expenses. Soon, the boarder allows friends to move in without offering to pay Maria additional rent. Neighbors begin seeing groups of people coming and going from the house at all hours. They call the Sheriff’s Office and it is discovered that the boarders have threatened Maria and stolen her bank card.
Maria, 81, resides alone. A friend suggests she accept a boarder to help with expenses. Soon, the boarder allows friends to move in without offering to pay Maria additional rent. Neighbors begin seeing groups of people coming and going from the house at all hours. They call the Sheriff’s Office and it is discovered that the boarders have threatened Maria and stolen her bank card.
Physical Neglect
James, 82, is paralyzed. His oldest son has legal charge over the estate and they live together in a 4-bedroom home. When a younger son visits, he calls the Sheriff’s Office expressing concern that his father’s environment is unfit. After an investigation, it is discovered that James has been forced to live in one room that is filthy and unkempt.
James, 82, is paralyzed. His oldest son has legal charge over the estate and they live together in a 4-bedroom home. When a younger son visits, he calls the Sheriff’s Office expressing concern that his father’s environment is unfit. After an investigation, it is discovered that James has been forced to live in one room that is filthy and unkempt.
Elder Scams
Repeat Elder Scams should be reported to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or 919-716-6000.
This is assistance is for seniors who have repeatedly fallen victim to:
- Bogus foreign lotteries
- Guaranteed loan, credit card or government grant scams
- Sending money out-of-state/country via bank-to-bank wire transfers, Moneygram, Western Union
- Unauthorized debits to checking/savings accounts
Victim Assistance Programs includes:
- Consumer Protection Division interviews clients after referral from local law enforcement and refers clients deemed eligible to the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS)
- DAAS trains volunteers and matches appropriate victim with local volunteers
- Attorney Generals’ (AG) Office helps with investigation, and helps with referral to out-of-state and overseas law enforcement agencies
- DAAS and AG help prevent re-victimisation of seniors
- DAAS works through the local Area Agency on Aging to get volunteers and to establish a link between local law enforcement and local victims
- This is a product of the NC Senior Consumer Fraud Task Force facilitated by the DAAS and the AG’s office
To volunteer, contact: Donna White, RN with the Division of Aging and Adult Services at (919)733-0440 ext 232 or donna.white@ncmail.net.
ScamBusters
Have you ever been scammed?
I’m sure you have seen the emails taunting that you have won the lottery. Most of us bypass these types of scams but what about those that offer to help you with your resume, ask you to be a mystery shopper, or is telling you the government is holding some of your money? These emails and websites can be very convincing. So, how do you distinguish the real from the fake?
The Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments (NWPCOG) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has begun a new program aimed at educating the public about the proliferation of scams in our communities. Many of these scams prey on the elderly and on people who are out of work or otherwise down on their luck. Sadly, many of these schemes work all too well and people suffer in silence because they feel embarrassed to have fallen for such schemes. This new effort is mostly educational – but might have the added benefit of helping to catch some of these scammers in the act.
Please visit www.bbbscambusters.org to learn more about this very important program.