Summary of the scenario

The case in this situation requires moving police from the response-based method to a community-oriented system, restoring security and order. The move is essential because the rural region described in the scenario covers approximately 125km by 75km. The people in the area engage in farming as the main occupation, but a local lake acts as a tourist attraction.   In the region, the rate of crime is low, but property crime is a predominant challenge as well as constant collisions on roads with tourists being the most affected by the accidents. It is suspected that crashes are as a result of growing driving impaired issues. It is a challenge to not that the local government less concerned with criminal problems affecting the local community and the police are not in support of the proposed community-oriented system a reality that might result in change resistance. To endorse and implement the community-oriented system different stakeholders that make up the overall community must come together and be responsible. Local police are one part of the population that needs to embrace changes and adopt the community-based response strategies. The local community is the other part of the city, and this comprises the youth, business individuals, farmers, and the elderly. The tourists are the last part of the community as they visit the local lake and also are affected continuously by road collisions.

Overall scenario approach

From the scenario described, it is evident that the region is suffering in different ways despite the rate of crime being classified as low. The victims of crime and road collisions also deserve protection from all members of the community, and it is for this reason that members of the city should be involved and be empowered to take part in community development (Manning, 2015). However, it is essential to get to understand the situation from the real point of view to put in place the right measures to address the situation.

Public participation should first be endorsed to gather first-hand information from the parties involved(Jenkins, 2016). Therefore, this will require physical engagements between the plan development team and all partners which include local police officers, residents regardless of economic engagement, and the tourists. During public participation meetings, members of the community to be consulted of the various ways they feel they can help in effecting community-oriented system being proposed. Other strategies of gathering information can also be used for instance environmental scanning and surveys. Through surveys, the police would be able to share views and opinions about the former method that was in place as well as the present methodology being proposed(Jenkins, 2016). As a result, they will have the chance to share feelings about the community-oriented system an understanding that will help address possible resistance. The public and tourists would also get involved, and with the combination of all ideas raised, amicable solutions realized. These strategies are useful since they are practical and could lead to understanding the real situation on the ground.

Proposed solution

The challenges facing the people in the region are sensitive as they lower the quality of life that people deserve to enjoy. It is sad to note that despite property crimes being reported and constant motor vehicle collision incidence the local police officers poorly respond to such issues. On the contrary, the government is not focused on rising traffic collisions, primarily associated with the growing number of tourists who are not aware of the traffic patterns in the area. It is unfortunate that some accidents are as a result of drivers operating vehicles while impaired (Knutsson, & Tompson, 2017). Since it is the residents and the tourists are directly affected by the situation, it is essential to embrace the community-oriented system in the policing plan. The latter is in the sense that the with the local community and tourists working collaboratively with the local police officers who are in charge of security, crimes would be reported on time and other domestic government policies adhered to hence improving on security status.

Nevertheless, one major challenge is that the residents and tourists have little knowledge about the importance of community policing. Some people are not familiar with community policing, and one crucial step and solution to the challenge is conducting civic education about community policing (Manning, 2015). The aspects of engagement, education, and enforcement are essential for attaining efficiency. Community policing in the region will be enhanced by constantly engaging these categories.

When conducting civic education for the residents and tourists, vital factors must be taken into consideration. One of the most important concerns will be the mode of communication. The latter is in the sense that the way residents communicate might be entirely different from the way tourists communicate (Miller, & Blackler, 2017). For the residents, conferences will be organized in local town halls and classifications will be done on age merit. The more reason is that the residents differ in regards to age and addressing different age groups would help in communicating in a language that every age group comprehends with(Knutsson, & Tompson, 2017).

For the tourists, different channels would be used, and one of them would be through travel agencies, tour guides, and custom points. These agencies will be used because tourists visit and leave the area and it is important to share this crucial information with all the tourists presently and in the future(Steckle, 2013). The tourists would be informed about the area and possible challenges they might encounter like collisions hence providing them with alternatives like having a local driver or complying fully to the domestic government policies in place. Moreover, digital strategies can be used to reach out to the local citizens and tourists, for instance, television adverts and programs as well as social media.

The police would have to undergo extensive training about community policing to ensure they understand the role of community policing and how to approach matters as part of the broader region. The training is crucial as it will help the police to transit from the previously used methodology which was response-oriented effectively and successfully embrace the present proposed methodology (Knutsson, & Tompson, 2017). Extensive training which will also share the benefits of the community-oriented system would come in handy as a strategy to reduce possible resistance to change which is predicted to have possibilities of happening (Miller, & Blackler, 2017). Moreover, police training which would take place from the centers would also enlighten on effective communication which is a vital skill that the police would need to interact with the residents and tourists professionally and ethically.

Some causes of road collision can be said to be caused by personal ignorance for instance driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol as well as driving with full knowledge of impaired vision. Furthermore, the local community should endorse the MADD concepts which fight against drunk driving as well as offer social support to individuals affected by drunken driving (Higgins et al., 2017). It is an important initiative that the local community can use to prevent underage driving and drunk driving which are significant causes of road collisions. Members of the local community must also insist that all drivers must have eye test certificate from the doctors as proof of good eyesight hence fighting impaired drivers who place lives of other road users at significant risk.

The community must also appeal to the local government in place to provide police officers with all necessities that would effect duty execution(Manning, 2015). Also, request and ensure that the local government demarcates and puts visible road signs that would help drivers to be aware of the road condition(Steckle, 2013). This measure would help in cautioning drivers as road conditions keep on changing due to geographic setting on the area the road has been developed. For instance, signs like a steep road ahead, narrow road ahead, a bridge or even pedestrian or animal crossing signs among other posters can help the drivers to be more informed and with the help of learned driving skills promote road safety for him/herself and other road users.

Lastly, communication is vital as it will be used in making the policing efforts possible. In this case, an effective communication system must be established that the partners in the plan would apply to reach out to the other party. For instance, in the case a member of the public detects a drunk driver; it is crucial to have an effective communication system in place that the person would use to reach out to the police (Knutsson, & Tompson, 2017).  In the case of robbery, the communication system would be used to reach out to the police so that they can take action. Also, the police would use the same method to reach out and point out the specific location that the distress call or alarm emanated from hence promoting smooth operations.

References

Higgins, J. S., Michael, J., Austin, R. Åkerstedt, T., Van Dongen, H. P, Watson, N, & Rosekind, M. R. (2017). Asleep at the wheel—the road to addressing drowsy driving. Sleep, 40(2), zsx001.

Jenkins, M. J. (2016). Police support for community problem-solving and broken windows policing. American journal of criminal justice, 41(2), 220-235.

Knutsson, J., & Tompson, L. (Eds.). (2017). Advances in evidence-based policing. Taylor & Francis.

Manning, P. K. (2015). Democratic policing in a changing world. Routledge.

Miller, S., & Blackler, J. (2017). Ethical issues in policing. Routledge.

Steckle, R. (2013). Governing the Drinking Driver: A Genealogical Analysis of Canadian Impaired-Driving Programmes.