Soft Skills, Community Relations Are Necessities To ImprovePolicing Efforts In 2017 (NAPSA)—Police officers today face very different challenges than a decade ago. Social media and an increase in overall visibility of officers’ actions place them underincreased scrutiny, and may have fueled disconnect between law enforcement and the communities they protect. According to a Gallup survey, only 58 percent ofwhites and 29 percent of African Americanstrust police ofhcers, up slightly from the lowest point it reached in 2015. Recent incidents with minorities and limited community presence may contribute to the lack of trust. Understandingtheefforts police departments undertake to prevent crimeis especially importantas the United States Congress in 2009 designated March as National Criminal Justice Month. The month is meant to promote socie- tal awareness of the causes and consequences of crime and better help civilians understand the strategies to prevent and respondto it. Many experts believe a return to community-oriented policing (COP) and an emphasisonsoft skills for officers could help police departments make strides toward rebuilding community trust. Daniel Barry is one expert, who says police departments need to make shift in philosophies. Barry is the criminal justice chair for the University of Phoenix College of Security and Criminal Justice Las Vegas Campus and spent 30 years as police captain for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He and other current and former Las Vegas officers started the Police Athletic Leagueto help officers and youths form a bond throughsports. Barry saysinitiatives like these go a long way in improving communityrelations. “People need to understand that COP andsoft skills are a philosophy, not a style of policing,” Barry said. “We live in a more connected, more exposed Manypolice officers have found the more they learn about technology and social media, the safer and more efficient they can be. past COP initiatives. Today, COP ini- tiatives include expanding social media presence and becoming more active in community projects. Soft skills and training on how to best de-escalate a situation are key focuses for police departments. Muchlike how officers are expected to undergo firearms training, teaching soft skills like interpersonal communication and critical thinking must also be prioritized. Studies have shownthat the officers with higher education degrees are less likely to use force when making an arrest than those without a degree or only a GED.In fact, officers with two- or four-year degrees used physical or verbalforce 56 percentof the time when making an arrest, compared to 68 percent for those with only a high school education. Moreover, police departments should focus on educating officers on technology and encouraging social media use. According to a Pew Research survey, 44 percent of officers rated their agencies use of social media as “fair” and fewer than onein 10 rated it as “excellent.” Despite a lack of understanding and budget cutrestraints, social media can be a help- ful tool to enhance a department's reputation and quickly spread information. University of Phoenix offers degrees and certificates that focus on security, world. Police departments need to embrace efforts to be more involved with the communities they serve.” Police departments are in fact transitioning back to a COP philosophy. Traditional policing has historically taken a reactionary approach, respond- public administration and criminaljustice that teach the necessary hard and soft skills to pursue a career in criminal justice. Students learn how to make a officers are proactively engaged with community members to address immediate concerns and stop crime beforeit occurs. Programs such as D.A.R.E. and bike patrols were examples ofsuccessful completion rates, the median debt in- ing to crime after it occurs, which could make individuals feel unsafe. With COP, difference in their communities, pro- tect people and contribute to improving society. For more information about each of these programs, including on-time curred by students who completed the program and other important information, please visit www.phoenix.edu/ programs/gainful-employment.html.
