Front porch roll calls: an innovative approach to community-oriented policing in Saginaw, MI
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 30 August 2023
Issue publication date: 7 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate a promising community-oriented policing strategy called “front porch roll call” (FPRC), which involves conducting roll calls in public forums.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed methods approach was used by drawing on survey data, field observations and qualitative interviews to describe how FPRCs were implemented in Saginaw, MI from 2019 to 2022, and how they can be successfully implemented to operate in accordance with the theoretical foundations of community-oriented policing.
Findings
Survey data from FPRC attendees reported improvements in their perceptions of police legitimacy, trust in the police and procedural fairness—each of which are vital pathways to developing collaborative crime prevention initiatives in community-oriented policing. Qualitative interviews and field observations provided unique insights into areas of improvement and ways to enhance sustainability for future use.
Originality/value
Community-oriented policing offers a philosophical approach to addressing crime problems through the formation of localized, collaborative solutions that come from police-community partnerships. A key implementation challenge is that such programs can fail to align their initiatives with the theoretical principles of community policing. FPRCs offer an innovative solution that operates closely with the spirit of community-oriented policing. Data from a mixed-methods evaluation provide further insights into their challenges with implementation and ways to improve upon them.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Saginaw Police Department for partnering with this project. In particular, the authors thank Lt. Dave Kendziorski and Brittany Jeffers for the leadership of the front porch roll calls and the unwavering commitment to evaluating the program.
Since acceptance of this article, the following author(s) have updated their affiliation(s): Yongjae Nam is at the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at San Antonio.
Funding: This research was funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance under Grant 2019-WY-BX-0003. Points of view and opinions provided are those of the authors and do not represent the official position of the US Department of Justice.
Citation
Carter, T., Wolfe, S.E., Nam, Y. and Lawson, S.G. (2023), "Front porch roll calls: an innovative approach to community-oriented policing in Saginaw, MI", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 46 No. 5/6, pp. 766-779. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2023-0076
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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