Originally Posted by
dado potato
I wonder if the states with the lowest homicide rates may be benefiting from several years of emphasis on community policing (CP).
I note that Portland ME has a wide-ranging CP effort which includes:
Liaison with Portland Housing Authority to help families that need support to connect with community resources,
Neighborhood Block Parties,
World Refugee Day observance,
Summer Slam Basketball Program,
Fishing with Youth,
Runs for Charity,
Cops With Cakes (officers bring birthday cakes and presents for children in family shelters),
Backpack Project (officers organize a drive to buy backpacks and deliver them to needy kids at start of school year),
Cop Camp (I think it's with youth, in cabins),
After school recreation and academics,
Shop With A Cop (for youth),
School Mentor programs (addressing bullying and other student concerns that do not rise to a criminal level),
Summer Foot Beats,
Sports Clothing Bank,
East End Free Summer Lunch for Kids,
Night Out Parade (August) followed by community BBQ,
Healthy Snacks Program (officers distribute to children).
In a similar vein, I note "Hew Hampshire Listens", a civic engagement program of UNH in liaison with the NAACP to foster dialogue in living rooms and community centers about Race and about Police-Community Relations.
Merrimack NH uses social media to promote Coffee with a Cop.
The Manchester NH Police Athletic League coaches youth in boxing, judo, wrestling, and aikido, and offers academic tutoring after school.
Laconia NH operates a "recovery court" to help individuals with opiate addiction to get help. The police department goal is to respond to calls for help with "help, not handcuffs".
I plan to look into community policing efforts in Minnesota on another day.
While CP may be well established in these states, I am not suggesting it is a panacea. There may be neighboring states where the crime rates are worse (like WI, where CP is practiced in Milwaukee and Madison)