About the Service Community Policing

What Is Community Policing? | Community Service Centres | Neighbourhood Foot Patrol | Community Service Centre Locations

Neighbourhood Foot Patrol

The primary goal of the neighbourhood foot patrol officer is to keep peace in the Community. This requires consideration of quality of life issues that are associated with crime, such as poverty, racism, anger, etc. The Neighbourhood Foot Patrol Officer is to provide proactive policing services that involve solving problems rather than simply reporting incidents. The member is to provide a service that is community based rather than criminal justice based, that is, one that involves the community in identifying and solving problems. Thus, the Neighbourhood Foot Patrol Officer "acts as a community team leader in identifying problems that damage the quality of life, then work through the community as a whole to find and apply solutions to those problems".

The selection process includes written tests, physical tests, medical examinations, illegal drug use testing, interviews, background investigation and psychological testing.

OBJECTIVES

To reduce the number of repeat calls for service
To solve community problems
To improve the public satisfaction with the police
To increase the job satisfaction of the constables
To increase the reporting of intelligence and sharing of information

STRATEGIES

To target police services to "hot spots"
To decentralize the service
To increase the constables' autonomy and problem solving ability
To involve the community in defining problems
To involve the community in solving problems
To increase the constables' knowledge of the community
To increase police visibility

HOW DOES IT WORK

An analysis of the calls for service was completed for the entire City of Winnipeg. Based on these findings small geographical areas were identified as requiring additional police resources. A constable is assigned to patrol this area in order to create peace in the Community, to increase the constables' knowledge of, and adaptation to, the community, and to promote community involvement in problem solving. The constable is encouraged to identify a community beat office to decentralize the police service, promote community involvement and make the constable accessible to the community. The constable is encouraged to form Community liaison committees which are organized to promote community ownership problems. They are encouraged to utilize innovative problem solving strategies to address the concerns of the particular community.

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are an essential resource in helping the Winnipeg Police Service provide an effective and efficient service to the public. They are recruited to assist in the Community Service Centers and the Neighbourhood beat offices.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY?

For further details or information regarding the Winnipeg Police Service Community Volunteer Program contact the Community Policing Implementation Team at: 204-986-4891 or 204-986-3265 or meet with your local Neighbourhood Foot Patrol Officer.