New issue of Community Policing Dispatch

This is the monthly Newsletter of the COPS office [Community Oriented Policing Service. Home page: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/ ] in the US. Article in this issue on community policing partnerships as a key element in Homeland Security strategy. Worth reading in connection to the previous post.

Lambert's unit's work raises questions that the article here doesnt really address: Getting the balance right between using and reassuring the community, especially where the community is an ethnic or religious minority or both. A purely instrumental approach can increase alienation. The second question is where is the line to be drawn? Are there members of the community who should not be brought into partnership in any circumstances or are the police to engage in partnership with all groups in the community who are willing to engage? Should the police seek partnership with any group that opposes violence within the state? What if that group supports violence elsewhere? Say for example, to avoid the obvious cases, to overthrow Putin's government or to "liberate" Tibet?

More finals essay questions for you all to set your students!