ENHANCING POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS VIA A CONFLICT RESOLUTION APPROACH

Abstract

Despite calls for community-oriented policing and the recognition that it results in improved relationships between the police and community as well as improved public security outcomes, police-community relations are arguably at an all-time low. Part of the challenge in achieving enhanced police-community relations is a disparate understanding of what each party wants and what each party can provide as well as prioritizing these factors. We present a project that worked to improve police-community relations through a conflict resolution process using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The project was conducted with a group of police officers serving an urban, predominately African American community and representatives of the community over a period of several workshops. The workshops identified the goals, criteria, and objectives of each party as well as the perception of the other party’s goals, criteria, and objectives. The results of the meetings, the priorities generated, and similarities/divergences between them are presented.