Policing and Community Relations in the Homeland Security Era

The attacks of September 11, 2001, significantly changed the way local police agencies relate to the communities that they serve. Agencies that had previously embraced community oriented policing (COP) to address traditional crime problems were suddenly thrust into the front lines of the war against terror. Local police departments assumed new roles and responsibilities for protecting the homeland. In some cases, this has resulted in the reduction or elimination of community policing methodologies and degraded relationships between the police and the community. This paper will provide a background on COP strategies and tactics and examine their suitability for use in homeland security strategies. It will also examine the effect of various homeland security and COP strategies on relationships between law enforcement and Middle Eastern communities; potential obstacles to maintaining positive relationships; and civil rights and profiling issues. To date, research is showing that community policing strategies and tactics can be used to enhance homeland security efforts while continuing to improve relationships with these often estranged immigrant groups.