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POLICE PRACTICES: CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES
By
Major Dan Flynn, M.P.A.
Northside Station Commander
Metro Dade, Florida, Police Department
Like many law enforcement agencies around the Nation, the
Metro Dade, Florida, Police Department embraces the community
policing model as a way to forge closer relationships between the
police and citizens. The department's strategy involves several
elements, including a special community-oriented police squad,
team police units, and a tactical drug team that conducts
large-scale sweeps of drug-infested neighborhoods.
However, the basic component of the Metro Dade approach is a
system of citizen advisory committees that operate in each police
district. By working closely with these committees, police
administrators can more closely tailor departmental services to
the specific needs of residents.
JURISDICTION
The jurisdiction of the Metro Dade Police Department covers
1,840 square miles, which is almost entirely suburban, with a
population exceeding 1 million. To serve the residents of the
county effectively, the department divides its patrol force into
seven districts, each with approximately 225 sworn and nonsworn
employees. The seven districts house relatively distinct
geographic, economic, ethnic, and demographic segments of the
county's population.
CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Each district has a citizen advisory committee composed of
representatives from various segments of the community. These
groups include homeowners, business operators, public housing
residents (if applicable), church and school representatives, and
others. On a regular basis, the committees meet with the command
staff and officers of their district to discuss community
problems.
The advisory committees focus on local concerns. One
committee from a predominantly middle-class district works with
the district police staff to develop antigraffiti strategies.
Another committee, representing a primarily retail business
district, works with the police to deal with problems involving
roadside vendors. Another, from an economically disadvantaged
district, works with the police in focusing on street-level drug
trafficking.
While the concerns of both citizens and police may
periodically change as existing problems are resolved and new
ones emerge, the basic process remains the same. Committee
members express their concerns, the district police staff advises
on the legal parameters of different approaches, and both groups
then discuss the feasibility of various options. Once a course
of action is implemented, the advisory committees and district
police officers monitor progress closely and make necessary
adjustments. By keeping the number of objectives manageable, the
districts can address all committee concerns simultaneously.
COMMITTEE MAKEUP
Each committee is composed of 15 volunteers, recommended by
community groups and appointed by the county manager. In
addition, because meetings are open to the public, some of the
committees have several nonmember observers who attend on a
regular basis.
There is no set limit as to the number of terms a committee
member may serve. However, a moderate natural attrition rate and
the subsequent entry of new members prevent committees from
becoming stagnant.
BENEFITS
Involving citizens in the police planning process produces
more than the inherent benefits of collaborative decisionmaking.
Committee members quickly learn the limitations--as well as some
of the frustrations--that police officers experience in
confronting various enforcement problems. Citizens also
experience first-hand the impact of citizen involvement and
cooperation on law enforcement initiatives. At the same time,
members of the police department develop and refine a
problem-solving process that all employees in the agency can
employ.
The police department as a whole also benefits from the
focus provided by the committees. As suburban crime rates rise
nationwide, the resources of such agencies as the Metro Dade
Police Department become increasingly strained. The advisory
committees assist police managers to direct the department's
efforts in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
CONCLUSION
Communication between citizens and the police represents an
integral feature of the community policing concept. Citizen
advisory committees developed by the Metro Dade Police Department
help to foster and coordinate the type of cooperation necessary
to resolve entrenched community problems. These committees not
only help to direct police resources to the specific problems
being experienced in the community but they also give concerned
citizens an opportunity to cultivate ongoing relationships with
officers in their individual districts. It is through such open
communication that police departments and communities together
make the best use of limited resources to resolve crime problems.