Introduction
Police play an important role in the life of every individual as in case of murders or other crimes, they can assist and protect. In recent years, the participation of police has increased in the US as there has been a rapid growth of 100% from 1990 to 2012 (Jerryratcliffe, 2016). Harm-focused policing is one of the main tasks of officers as the concept allows them to prioritize the prevention of harm and protect one specific object of policing (Ratcliffe & Kikuchi, 2019). The approach can help to reduce the percentage of crimes and violence in the country by preventing them from occurring rather than coping when they appear. The philosophy of the concept of harm-focused policing, psychology intelligence-led and community-based policing is related to the mental condition of criminals and the shifts in this aspect should be deeply analyzed.
Harm-Focused Policing Definition
Harm-focused policing is a new strategy that differs from the traditional way of collaborative work. Officers work closely with citizens to increase the level of trust and ensure that more reports will be made regarding the crimes (Ratcliffe & Kikuchi, 2019). “Harm-focused policing is an approach that seeks to reduce harm, rather than just crime, and it requires a different mindset and different tactics than traditional policing” (Ratcliffe, 2016). Police identify the most common problems in society and try to prevent the further development of these issues. Communities can be the best sources of expertise as they live around similar problems and meet them regularly. Therefore, the idea of harm-focused policing suggests that neighboring people can help to find working solutions and boost the performance of the state police.
Prioritization
The philosophy of prioritization states that the main task of the police is to decrease the level of harm related to innocent individuals. According to Mulholland & Cole (2021), officers take huge risks when working closely with people and trusting everyone, as no one is immune from deception and manipulation. Citizens can come to the police station with the wrong testimony, and more time will be spent to understand if the claim is real. However, the statistics showed by Jerryratcliffe (2016) state that the work of police in the US has become more effective, and it was found the real problems that cause crimes. For instance, the increase in mental problems in societies causes more reports, and police are paying more attention to the issues related to the psychological condition of murderers.
Community-Based Policing
The engagement of individuals is crucial in harm-focused policing, and collaboration with those in a dangerous situation may help solve current problems. However, even though the concept of community-based policing has the same values as harm-focused policing, the police need to sue them appropriately in diverse situations. While harm-focused policing reduces harm to individuals and communities, community-based policing allows the building of relationships between police and members of a specific society (Ratcliffe & Kikuchi, 2019). Consequently, both definitions can be used together to improve the quality of police assistance, but it is important to know the difference to apply them correctly.
Relevance to Intelligence-Led Policing
ILP closely explains harm-focused policing as the orientation on communication with communities present there. Jerryratcliffe (2016) stated that the main idea of intelligence-led policing is to use AI to make decisions and apply it to real-life cases. The importance of harm-focused policing and community-based policing is massive, as before using intelligence in decision-making, it is important to understand the thoughts of individuals and propose a basic solution for further expansion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the police are one of the main forces that protect the lives of individuals and make them feel protected. The importance of officers is increasing significantly, and they are always introducing new techniques that decrease the level of crimes and murders. Harm-focused policing, community-based policing, and intelligence-led policing are the main aspects with similar values but should be used separately to make the right decision. Close communication with individuals helps to improve the quality of police protection.
References
Jerryratcliffe (2016). Cato Institute talk on harm focused policing [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Mulholland, P., & Cole, T. (2021). A comparison of attribute-focused and harm-focused methods for assessing the risk of organized crime groups: Are they in agreement? Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 15(2), 1367-1383. Web.
Ratcliffe, J. H. (2016). Intelligence-Led Policing (2nd ed.). Willian Publishing.
Ratcliffe, J. H., & Kikuchi, G. (2019). Harm-focused offender triage and prioritization: A Philadelphia case study. Policing: An International Journal, 42(1). Web.