COMMUNITY POLICING CALLED 'COLOSSAL FAILURE'

EDMONTON - Community policing has been ineffective with its
popularity having surpassed proven results, a national conference of
police commissions heard Thursday.

David Griffin, executive officer with the Canadian Professional
Police Association, expressed serious doubts about community policing
- -- the central theme of the Canadian Association of Police Boards conference.

"There's a lot of cynicism in recent years about community policing,"
he said during a debate. "It's a buzzword, it's a bandwagon a lot of
people have applied to.

"Community policing has in fact been a colossal failure."

Law-enforcement agencies are judged by how safe people feel, and
community policing falls short of meeting that goal, Griffin said.

Police are still losing the battle against drugs and organized crime,
he said. Griffin compared a successful community policing model with
Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

Chris Braiden disagreed. The retired Edmonton police superintendent
has been a strong supporter of community policing for years.

As an example, Braiden pointed to the opening of several community
police stations in the early '90s. Police had previously suspected
they were receiving false theft reports over the phone. When
complainants had to come to local stations and spoke to an officer
face-to-face, the number of theft complaints dropped.

Reaching out for allies amongst the public that might not otherwise
be consulted is crucial, Braiden told the conference. "The allies I
need the most are in the poorest neighbourhoods, because that's where
peace is needed the most."

Community policing has several definitions and is applied differently
from city to city. It is largely accepted that any definition
includes increased consultation and interaction with the public.
Braiden admitted the definition of the concept is vague. He prefers
"logical policing," which amounts to more street-level officers and
less bureaucracy.

"There's way too much junk in every police service in this country."

Griffin said law-enforcement has spent too much time trying to define
policing concepts.

"We've lost sight of what we're supposed to be doing, reducing crime
on our streets," Griffin said. "If I call up police because someone
broke into my car and stole my stereo, I'm not going to comforted if
I'm told you're going to hold another meeting."

The Canadian Professional Police Association represents roughly
54,000 police personnel.

In recent years, the Edmonton Police Commission has made community
policing the cornerstone of its efforts. Chief Mike Boyd and Mayor
Stephen Mandel are strong supporters.

During a speech to open the conference, Boyd said community policing
will remain the goal of Edmonton police. He emphasized prevention and
treatment as tools for dealing with drug problems, not just enforcement.

In his eight months on the job, Boyd has held numerous meetings with
the public, social agencies and politicians. He believes it's working.

"We're building support because people believe we're listening."