Traditional policing refers to a policing model that places great emphasis on crime control through law enforcement and high police visibility, and police work is conducted in a reactive manner. Under this model, police officers are viewed as the primary guardians of public safety, whose primary responsibilities are to respond to reported and observed crimes, conduct investigations, identify suspects, and make arrests. Traditional policing tends to stress the role of police officers in controlling crime and views residents’ role in the apprehension of people who commit crime as minor. This approach can create tension between police officers and the public, and it can separate police departments from the communities they serve. Departments that use more traditional policing also tend to be more reactive and can create a disconnect with the community. Little time is taken to look beyond to strategies that will potentially mediate a situation they are placed in without the necessary use of force.
In contrast, community-oriented policing (COP) and problem-oriented policing (POP) are two policing strategies that have gained popularity since the mid-1980s and are viewed as policing models that should supplant or supplement elements of the traditional policing model. The COP model views the police and community as collaborators in identifying and countering the causes of crime, and typical manifestations of the implementation of COP are increased foot patrols, school resource officers, storefront police stations, the geographic assignment of officers, and neighborhood-based crime prevention activities. POP involves the police in identifying and countering persistent crime patterns and the circumstance and locations linked to them.
In summary, traditional policing is a reactive approach to law enforcement that emphasizes crime control through law enforcement and high police visibility, while community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing are newer policing strategies that aim to redefine the relationship between the police and the community and focus on identifying and countering the causes of crime.
