Workshops promote community policing

A cross section of key partners and practitioners are now better informed about the refreshed approach to community policing, following a series of workshops in December last year.

The National Community Policing Group, based at Police National Headquarters, ran three workshops in December to brief key groups on national community policing developments.

The first rallied community constables from each district, the second brought together representatives from key external partners, while the third focused on Police district communication managers.

Superintendent Bill Searle, National Manager Community Policing, says workshops for community constables and external partners followed similar workshops held in December 2006.

“The 2006 workshops were used to identify community concerns and prioritise the main areas of work for the first 12 months,” says Bill.

“At the December 2007 community constables and external partners workshops, the National Community Policing Group reported on progress towards the priorities identified a year earlier.”

The opportunity was also taken to re-prioritise for the next 12 months.

The third workshop brought together district communication managers as key communicators of the ‘refreshed’ approach to community policing.

“As well as updating them on progress, the national group was able to gather their ideas on how to promote community policing both internally and externally,” says Bill.

“Community policing is about policing for local communities. We’re therefore focusing on developing communication at a local level. We see district communication managers as central to this approach.”

Each workshop was well attended and participant feedback positive. Many attendees commented on the pleasing progress achieved to date.

“Our emphasis has been to gather as much information as possible and to consult widely. These workshops have been an important part of this approach,” says Bill.