What is Community Policing?

In the early 1990s, the St. Petersburg Police Department prepared a new mission statement, setting forth an expanded role for the police, working in partnership with the community, to solve community problems.

The St. Petersburg Police Department is committed to establishing and maintaining a meaningful and productive partnership with the community. The goal is to achieve excellence by facilitating a partnership between members and the citizens in order to mutually identify and resolve community problems. This partnership will ultimately enhance the safety and quality of life for the citizens of our community.

Since the early 1990s, many law enforcement departments have experimented with, and even implemented community policing but only on a limited basis focusing only on "high-crime" neighborhoods. The St. Petersburg Police Department embarked on a department-wide community policing philosophy with city-wide deployment. Community policing areas (CPAs) were established city-wide, covering every neighborhood. A community police officer (CPO) was then assigned to each CPA. Every area of the city continues to have a dedicated CPO. Utilizing the community policing philosophy and its two core components, community partnership and problem solving, they strive to achieve the highest level of quality service and citizen satisfaction. They are also responsible for identifying and resolving quality of life issues in their respective community policing areas. In essence, the CPO is responsible for their CPA 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

The CPO fosters a partnership with the community in order to mutually identify and resolve neighborhood problems and concerns. They identify repeat calls for service and implement problem-solving strategies to resolve them. They review problem-solving progress with coworkers, supervisors and the community. CPOs also develop mutual respect and trust between coworkers and the community. They interact with residents and merchants, enhance partnerships, and encourage teamwork.

The CPOs work a flexible schedule in order to meet the needs of the community based upon meetings (neighborhood association, crime watch, etc.), events, and problem-solving initiatives. The flexible schedule also facilitates more effective problem solving. You may see the CPO working in uniform and driving a marked police patrol car, patrolling on a police mountain bike, or if the situation calls for it, working in plain clothes. The flexibility of their work schedule, coupled with creative and innovative problem-solving efforts, allows the CPO to resolve problems beyond traditional responses.

Currently, there are 41 community police officers assigned to the community policing areas throughout St. Petersburg. In addition, there are 11 officers assigned to the Downtown Deployment squad, two officers assigned to our largest shopping mall, and two officers assigned to the city's public housing complexes, for a total of 56 community police officers throughout the city. There are six community policing sergeants who report directly to the district majors (unlike the patrol squad sergeants who report to a lieutenant); therefore, streamlining the CPOs chain-of-command.

In addition to a CPO in every neighborhood, there are zone officers (call-driven officers) assigned throughout the city. These zone officers have geographic responsibility for their zone (CPA) during their shift. Squad sergeants and lieutenants have geographic responsibility for their district during their shift. The zone officers work eight-hour shifts, five days a week, providing around-the-clock coverage for the entire city. Their primary duty is to respond to calls for police service. The zone officers are encouraged to partner with the CPO for their assigned area, as well as offer "directed patrols" during uncommitted time. These "directed patrols" are a means for the zone officer to be a part of the problem-solving process, such as providing additional patrols at a problem location or by assisting with a traffic enforcement detail. A "team" is formed consisting of a CPO and at least one zone officer for each of the shifts (days, evenings, and midnights). Furthermore, most of the detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division are also given geographical responsibilities, thus allowing them to become part of the "team" to address emerging crime patterns.