licing program will never be truly successful , nor reach its full potential , unless Community Policing is thoroughly incorporated within all ranks of an organization . Community Policing needs to grow into a working philosophy that is deeply rooted within an agency and it begins with planting seeds early on .
As with many agencies today , Modesto experienced a large exodus of officers due to retirements , injuries and lateral opportunities . As a result , we have been hiring an enormous amount of new officers , which has equated to nearly 30 % of our sworn staff having less than two years of law enforcement experience . Although many will see this staffing evolution as a challenge , we have seen this as a Golden Opportunity . Our command staff and supervisors have used this as an opportunity to develop a culture within our organization that goes beyond building partnerships ; more importantly one that focuses on building relationships with the community . Relationships that are based on trust and open lines of communication .
Our officers have been engrained that Community Policing is expected in their daily routine . Our newer officers have been exposed to this philosophy from day one . It begins with the Chief and works down to our command staff , field supervisors , field training officers , academy instructors , as well as all our professional staff . In essence , we have realized that our Golden Opportunity is being able to develop a true culture of Community Policing for the next 20 years , based on the practices and beliefs we are instilling in our new officers today .
We have been fortunate to see the fruits of our organization ’ s efforts begin to blossom . Our community has begun to rally in support of our public safety and our community . Recent events such as , Pray for Police , United We Stand , National Night Out , Love Modesto and events at our local churches , such as , Unity Matters and Blue Mass are all examples of our community members ’ efforts of becoming more active and doing their part in making our community a safer place . The public ’ s efforts have in turn , reaffirmed to our officers the importance of building trust
with those they serve . All too often , our officers progress through their careers and become callous in their views , feelings and beliefs , because they are often seeing the evils of our society . It is important for officers to understand and see firsthand that an overwhelming majority of the community they serve , respect and support law enforcement . Community members are more inclined to show support and be more active with police and community activities , such as neighborhood watch , citizen police academies and volunteering , when they have trust and believe in their public safety .
We have found that Smart Policing is about community trust through positive engagement . By building trust and developing relationships , we are empowering our community members to take more of an active role in addressing crime , safety and quality of life issues . In Modesto , we have a long road ahead of us . A comparison of 2014 staffing levels to FBI Uniform Report ( UCR ) Part I crime showed among the 25 most populous cities in California , Modesto Police Department had the highest work load . During the same year , Modesto was ranked as the 5th most violent city ( per capita ) in California .
Just like with other challenges , we see opportunities . In our case , we look forward to working in partnership with our community . Even without desperately needed staffing or additional funding , we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with those we serve , as we strive to make our community a safe place to live , work and visit . ■
About The Author : Rick Armendariz is currently the Assistant Chief for the Modesto Police Department , which embraces both community engagement and intelligence-led policing . The Modesto Police Department has 219 sworn officers and 78 professional staff and serves a city of 209,000 residents .
Rick has over 20 years in law enforcement and has earned a Bachelor ’ s Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University and a Master ’ s Degree in Emergency Management from CSU Long Beach . He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy class # 254 .
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