Republic of the Philippines

NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY

Course Code : LEA 102

Descriptive Title : COMPARATIVE MODELS IN POLICING
Term and Academic Year : 1st Semester, AY 2022-2023
Department and Year Level : BSCRIM 2
Professor : JESSE ALVIN A. PLANTIG

Module 2, Lesson 2
Importance of Policing in Social Life, Police and Society and State/Government
I.Introduction
This lesson focuses in the police community relations, the basic principles of community policing, and police and
society.
For this module, you shall be provided with hand out/reading materials on the topics. While going through materials take
down notes and be ready to answer the assessment questions at the end of this module. An activity is also provided which you
will accomplish and submit together with your answers to the assessment questions through messenger named Jesse Alvin A.
Plantig or email address [email protected].

Time Frame: 6 hours Date of Submission:

II.Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, you must have:
1. expressed ideas in the police community relations;
2. appreciated the importance of basic principles of community policing; and
3. assumed responsibility in the knowledge and facts about the police and society.

III.Learning Contents:

Importance of Police in Social Life, Goals of Policing, and Role of the Police
Significance of Police in Social Life:
1) Represents the presence of civil body politic in everyday life.
2) Conveys a sense of power or sacredness that lies at the root of political order.
3) Represents that means by which the political authorities maintain status quo.
4) Represent the capacity of state to deter citizens from committing acts that threaten the order they believed to
symbolize.
5) Gives a corporate identity to the police men.

Basic Goals of Policing:

1) Enforce laws
2) Preserve peace
3) Prevent crimes
4) Protect civil rights and liberties
5) Provide services

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 1

Role of Police
The role of police is to address all sorts of problems when in so far as their solutions do or possibly require the use of
force at the point of their occurrence.
Police is viewed as fulfilling the following roles in social life:
1) A watchman
2) A law enforcer
3) A service provide

Police Community Relations

A Community Oriented Policing Ideology

A. Community Policing
Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use
of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to
public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. Community policing is comprised of three key
components:
1. Community Partnerships
Collaborative partnerships between and among other law enforcement agencies and the individuals and organizations
they serves to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in the police as follows;
a. Other Government Agencies;
b. Community Members/Groups;
c. Nonprofits/Service Providers;
d. Private Businesses; and,
e. Media.
2. Organizational Transformation
The alignment of organizational management, structure, personnel, and information systems to support community
partnerships and proactive problem solving.
a. Agency Management
1) Climate and culture
2) Leadership
3) Labor relations
4) Decision-making
5) Strategic planning
6) Policies
7) Organizational evaluations
8) Transparency
9) Organizational Structure
b. Geographic assignment of officers
1) Despecialization
2) Resources and finances
c. Personnel
1) Recruitment, hiring, and selection
2) Personnel supervision/evaluations
3) Training
d. Information Systems (Technology)
1) Communication/access to data
2) Quality and accuracy of data

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 2

3. Problem Solving
The process of engaging in the proactive and systematic examination of identified problems to develop and rigorously
evaluate effective responses.
a. Scanning: Identifying and prioritizing problems.
b. Analysis: Researching what is known about the problem.
c. Response: Developing solutions to bring about lasting reductions in the number and extent of problems.
d. Assessment: Evaluating the success of the responses. e. Using the crime triangle to focus on immediate conditions
(victim/offender/ location)

Community Policing also revolves around the basic principle that the “Police are the Public and the Public are the Police”
(Principle #7, Sir Robert Peel, Founder of the British Police system). It is a policing concept that requires every member of the
community to exercise self-policing, restrain other members against doing things that may harm each other, and require other
members to conduct themselves in an orderly interaction. Requiring community members to follow certain orderly interaction
means specific obedience to a set of rules or common beliefs and aspirations with the community.
It is necessary, therefore, that the basic policing in the community should focus on the core concept of Police Community
Relations. A policing concept that wins the trust, confidence and support of the people in the community such that policing
becomes a norm and not just obedience to a set of rules. When community policing becomes a way of life in the community, then
there will be no more need for organizations to police the community.
To influence more individuals to join programs for a common cause, these basic steps may be implemented:
1. Forging relationships – establishing relations, either personal or professional, is a key factor that establishes credibility
and confidence so that the information intended to be conveyed to the other party can be trusted and relied upon.
2. Use of information – public information is a vital tool to raise awareness and knowledge that creates impression over
certain facts. When various information become substantial to form a belief that a 17 thing is probably true or an event
is certain to happen, then the credibility of the source and the reliability and accuracy of the information becomes a
persuasive tool to influence shaping the perception. This also influences the decision-making of the receiver of the
information.
3. Shaping perceptions and influencing their thoughts – when the use of information is properly done, (i.e. appropriate
in the environment), then the educative and illuminative process of injecting information to the consciousness of the
receiver becomes the dominant and the controlling factor that affects the decision making process of the receiver of the
information.
4. Community organization and mobilization – The visible indicators that community perceptions have been shaped in
favor of law enforcement action is the reduced resistance or non-resistance of the members of the community towards
any forms of policing actions. This makes them willing to be organized and form groups for the welfare of the community
and harmony of its interaction. This willingness to participate in policing action is necessarily construed to mean “Public
Support”. In community policing however, mere “public cooperation” would be sufficient for the police as this would
mean working in a non-hostile environment.

B. Activities in Community Policing

Community Policing is a system that links and bonds the police to the community and creates a stronger and
cohesive community interaction. Exchanges of information are fast due to established Police Community Relations.
Everyone knows one another, talks to and trusts each other, and confident that their police can be relied upon for
keeping the peace and making the community safer. Policing the community can be done through three (3) types of
activities: patrol activities, organizational work and community interactions.
1. Patrol activities – These activities are conducted so that police and its auxiliaries can be seen and felt by the
community. This can be accomplished with patrolling combined with other patrol related activities such as;
a. Traffic Direction and Control – to keep the movement of people and goods in an orderly manner and avoid
potentials for conflict.
b. Fixed and Mobile Checkpoints – to deny the proliferation and movement of instruments of crime, and
prevent movement of people with criminal records and intents. Enforcement of traffic laws/ordinances,
Firearms laws, Drug and Human Trafficking laws, Anti-fencing and Piracy laws, etc. that protect lives and
properties can also be done alongside the patrol and checkpoint activities. 18 c. “Standing and watch” duties

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 3

 – a visibility form of duty that is intended for the protection of important public vital installations and
establishments such as communication towers, bridges, banks, etc. Policemen on duty in the streets should
not sit. It is an indication of laziness and inefficiency, and a proof that they are not doing any police work.
d. Beat Patrol Duties – a “walk and observe” duties to protect pedestrians, workers, houses, streets, offices,
etc., from being molested and burglarized by criminals. It is also an avenue for communicating with people
and forging friendly relations with the members of the community. The Police connects and communicates
with the kids to know their problems in their homes and in schools, how they fare with other kids and their
relationships with their mentors, their neighbors and their peers in the streets. The police acts like a second
father and complements some form of discipline that has not been given by their (kids’) respective parents.
This also gives the police the opportunity to communicate with adults about the crimes in the area and other
issues within the neighborhood. It is important that the police record these conflicts.
During the beat, the police also checks houses whose owners are on out-of-town visits, checks on
those elderly that are sick and those that are living alone and take action to serve them, bring them food and
medicines and console them during their lonely isolation. The police keeps track of various problems in the
community and records them starting from problems on sanitation, health, engineering, livelihood and reports
these to appropriate offices for appropriate actions.
2. Organizational work – Community policing cannot be undertaken solely by the police. It will need the help of
various sectors in the community. The following organizations are material in the upkeep of peace and order and
public safety activities:
a. Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATS)
b. Anti-Drug Councils and Movements
c. Council of Elders
d. Radio and Social Networking Clubs
e. Fire and Disaster Brigades
f. Livelihood Cooperatives
g. Sports Club
h. Skills Development Club
3. Community Interaction – It is an indispensable tool in bringing the police closer to the people. This requires the
police to be visible in the community and make its presence physically felt. Community interaction is done in two
ways - the Area Visit and the House Visit:
a. Area Visit – The Community or Area visit is conducted for several specific purposes and is designed to
attain the following objectives using an 8-man team composition.
1) A police visibility or presence to neutralize or drive out a larger group of insurgents or criminal gangs in
the community. If needed, the 8-man team, which may come from the Philippine Provincial/City Public
Safety Companies (P/CPSCs) assisting the Community BPAT supervisor or from the MPS/CPS or a
combination of both, shall patrol the area, check specific target, serve warrants or check tasks embodied in
the six (6) campaign plans (from illegal logging, illegal fishing and illegal poaching to sketching road maps and
updating important routes and reference points). After the Area check, it is important to reorganize the
team into 2-man teams for the conduct of House Visits to interact with the occupants, gather information,
record the area and household profiles.
2) Conduct peripheral visit and forge relationships with the people in the area by conducting interpersonal
dialogue, establish rapport and offer friendship.
3) Educate the people in the community about recent news that may capture their interest and when
reciprocated, volunteer other information about current events, livelihood and important laws that may
affect their lives. b. House Visit – it is an interpersonal interaction that brings the police closer to the
communities, connects the police with the public, informs the community of various matters that affect their
lives starting from issues involving peace and order, laws that affect their daily activities (FAs, Anti-fencing,
Anti-Illegal drug and human trafficking. etc), economics, social and cultural issues, health, social inventions,

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 4

 to as odd as lives of celebrities. Issues in promoting discipline within the household and other issues may
also be discussed during the visit.

C. Important Basic Principles of Community Policing

The Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPRC) shall assist the appropriate directorates in the conceptualization
of community oriented trainings and program development of police officers through an appropriate reorientation training
strategy in order to develop a policing ideology anchored on the Professional Police Principles advocated by Sir Robert Peel,
Founder of the British Police System, and Edward Davies, the Chief of Police of California.

Principle No. 1. - PREVENTION OF CRIME IS THE BASIC MISSION OF THE POLICE.

The basic mission of the Police is to prevent crime and ensure a peaceful and orderly community interaction without the
necessity of resulting into a military intervention to repress crime and severity of legal punishment. The need therefore to enforce
laws and ordinances, protect lives and properties and maintain peace and order, are preconditions that limit the formation of
conflict in the environment and therefore ensure public order and safety. When the Police are already in crime deterrence and
control function, then it is approximating a failure to perform its basic mission.
Principle No. 2. - POLICE MUST BE RESPECTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
The ability of the Police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police existence, actions, behavior,
and the ability of the Police to secure and maintain public respect. Mr. Davis wrote that no policemen can work in a hostile
environment.
Principle No. 3. – A CITIZEN’S RESPECT FOR LAW DEVELOPS HIS RESPECT FOR THE POLICE.
The police must secure the cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain
the respect and approval of the public. The Police must have a conscious and deliberate effort to influence the community about
the need to enjoin or at the very least, persuade every citizen not to violate the law or tolerate amongst those who do.
Principle No. 4. – COOPERATION OF THE PUBLIC DECREASES AS THE USE OF FORCE INCREASES.
The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately the necessity for the use of
physical force and compulsion in achieving police objectives. An Officer with the ability to firmly but pleasantly solicit the
cooperation of individual or groups can frequently accomplish, through their cooperation, what it might take scores of officers to
accomplish through the use of a “hard” approach to the situation. In areas where there has been a pattern of using strong physical
force to achieve police objectives, a concurrent pattern of resistance develops within the individual or group. The result is
resistance and lack of cooperation on the part of the law violator and the subsequent necessity for resorting to force on the part
of the police. The use of force is thus selfperpetuating.
Principle No. 5. – THE POLICE MUST RENDER IMPARTIAL ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.
The police seek and preserve public favor, not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolutely
impartial service to the law, in complete independence of policy, and without regard to the justice or injustice of the substance of
individual laws; by ready offering of individual service and friendship to all members of society without regard to their race or
social standing, by ready exercise of courtesy and friendly good humor; and by ready offering of individual sacrifice in protecting
and preserving life.
It is not the job of a policeman to determine what the legislators should say what constitute a crime. It is not the mission
of the police to judge whether any law is good, bad, too harsh, or too lenient. Laws are subject to change. However, when the law
is established, it is the job of the policeman to enforce that law impartially.
Principle No. 6 – PHYSICAL FORCE IS USED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT.
The Police should use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only
when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient to achieve police objectives. The police should
use only the minimum degree of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective.
Principle No. 7. - THE POLICE ARE THE PUBLIC AND THE PUBLIC ARE THE POLICE.
The Police at all times should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the
police are the public and the public are the police. The Police are the only members of the public who are paid to give full-time
attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the intent of the community welfare. Principle No. 8. – POLICE
REPRESENTS THE LAW.
The police should always direct their actions strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the
Judiciary by avenging individuals or the state, or authoritatively judging guilt or punishing the guilty. Principle No. 9. – THE
ABSENCE OF CRIME AND DISORDER IS THE TEST OF POLICE EFFECIENCY.

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 5

 The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with
them.

Police and Society

There is a remarkable historical, geographic, and organizational diversity in the activities of people who are, or have been,
defined as police. Police work has developed considerably from what it was centuries ago. As populations grew and informal
institutions of socialization and social control-such as the family, schools, and the church-decreased in effectiveness, police
became increasingly necessary. However, no uniform worldwide system of policing ever emerged.
Numerous factors help to explain the diversity of police activities and systems. The types of crime typically committed in
a society and the methods used by criminals play a great part in determining a police force’s activities. For instance, if criminals
use firearms, the police are likely to be armed, or if criminals use computers to commit crimes, the police may establish a special
unit dedicated to investigating cybercrimes. History also helps to explain this diversity; e.g., former colonies tend to keep the
policing system established by their colonizers. Population plays an important role as well; policing rural areas and villages vastly
differs from policing large cities. Foremost among the factors that determine a country’s system of policing, however, is
the political culture of the society—e.g., whether it is open and democratic or closed and totalitarian—and the
state’s conception of police accountability.

Policing Small Communities

Most people willingly obey most laws, whether a police officer is present or not. They comply with the laws because they
consider them fair and because they believe that in the long run it is in their interest to observe them. In small communities in
which most citizens know each other, people who live up to the community’s shared ideals are rewarded with the esteem of their
fellow citizens. If they break the law or fall short of other people’s expectations, their lives often become more difficult because
they are shamed, shunned, or ostracized by the rest of the community and are less likely to receive assistance in times of trouble.
In all societies this system of informal rewards and punishments is the most potent aid to law enforcement, but it is strongest in
small communities. The forces that order life in a small community thus make the task of the police much easier. Police action is
needed only when such informal controls have proved insufficient.
This is why rural and sparsely populated areas are often policed by a single centralized—and often militarized—police
force, even in countries that have a decentralized police system. A single police organization operating under a unified command
is more cost-effective and more operationally efficient than a bevy of independent small-town police forces. Since the territory to
cover may be very large and characterized by difficult terrain, police in such regions must have the long-range mobility and
adaptability that are characteristic of military forces. In addition, the countryside has historically been policed by military
organizations, as police forces were initially created in urban settings. (The great exceptions to this model are the United Kingdom
and the United States, which have long resisted police centralization.)

Policing Large Societies

In larger and more complex societies, informal institutions of social control are generally weaker, and, as a result, formal
institutions are generally stronger. The relative weakness of informal controls is attributable to a number of factors. In large
societies people often deal with strangers whom they will never meet again, and in such circumstances there may be fewer
informal rewards for honesty or fewer informal penalties for dishonesty. Such communities tend also to be more technologically
advanced, which leads to the adoption of new laws, such as those regulating the licensing and operation of automobiles and those
concerned with commerce conducted on the Internet (see e-commerce). Because some of these new laws may not have the
same moral significance as older laws criminalizing violence, theft, or fraud, people may feel less of an obligation to obey them.
Moreover, when new laws are created, crime increases almost necessarily. There is thus a danger that people who are convicted
of having violated a new law may feel aggrieved and in the future be less willing to cooperate with the police or to obey the law
when they are not being observed. Finally, as societies grow, it becomes more difficult for people to place the public interest
ahead of their private interests in circumstances where the two may conflict. An employer who catches an employee committing
an offense within the workplace, for example, may choose not to notify the police because he fears that the firm’s production,
profit, or prestige would suffer if the offense was publicly exposed.

Police and the state

A country’s political culture helps to determine whether its police forces are organized nationally or locally. The desire
for efficiency lends itself to the establishment of centralized police forces, which can take advantage of coordination and savings

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 6

in training, organization, and service delivery. However, such forces face the problem aptly summarized by the Latin question Quis
custodiet ipsos custodes? (“Who guards the guardians?”). In some democratic countries, particularly the United States and, to a
lesser extent, Great Britain, citizens have traditionally believed that the existence of a national police force would concentrate too
much power in the hands of its directors. They have believed that local communities could not hold a national police force
accountable for abuses of power, and they have feared that the national government could use such a police force to keep itself
in power illegitimately. For those and other reasons, some democratic countries favour organizing police forces on a local basis.
Decentralization brings the police closer to the community, and it often succeeds in tailoring policing to the specific needs of a
community. However, a decentralized police apparatus tends to hinder the flow of intelligence between the various components
of the system. Another drawback of a system of accountability to local government is that the narrow relationship between the
police and their political overseers may facilitate the corruption of both parties.
The need for police accountability is made evident by the great power that police forces wield over the lives, liberties,
safety, and rights of citizens. Governments empower police to compel individuals to comply with the law; they allow officers to
stop, search, detain, cite, and arrest citizens and to use physical and sometimes deadly force. If police use those powers
improperly, they can abuse the civil rights of the very citizens they are supposed to protect. Thus, it is critical that police be
accountable for their policies and behaviour. In democratic countries, accountability is ensured mainly by three means. First, police
forces are made subordinate to elected representatives (as in the United States, where mayors or state governors oversee the
police, and as in Belgium, where a town’s burgomaster is also the chief of police) or to special elected officials (e.g., the police and
crime commissioners of England and Wales). Second, the courts are entrusted to safeguard the respect of due process by the
police. Third, official bodies are appointed to hear and act upon complaints from citizens against the police.

Police Power
Police power is the right to protect the country and its population from threats to the public health and safety. The term
“police power” predates the development of organized police forces, which did not develop until the postcolonial period. In the
colonial period, police power was used to control nuisances, such as tanneries that fouled the air and water in towns, to prevent
the sale of bad food, and to quarantine persons who were infected with communicable diseases. Many of the colonies had active
boards of health to administer the police power. This was one of the main governmental functions in the colonial period.
Under the Constitution, the states retained much of their police power but share the right to regulate health and safety
issues with the federal government. Examples of the federal use of the police power are food and drug regulations, environmental
preservation laws, and workplace safety laws. The states have companion laws in most of these areas, plus local public health
enforcement such as restaurant inspections, communicable disease control, and drinking water sanitation. In most cases, the
state’s share jurisdiction with the federal government and the courts will enforce whichever is the more strict law. State and local
public health laws are exercises of the police power.

IV.Assessment
Directions: Use yellow pad papers for your answers, at least 150 words per question. Your answers shall be evaluated using these
criteria- content, organization of ideas, and language facility.
1. What is community policing? How does it differ from traditional poling?
2. Briefly discuss the basic principles of community policing in your own idea.
3. What is the role of the police in today’s society?
4. How do police officers help our community?
5. What is the benefit of community policing?
Scoring Guide:
Each answer shall be evaluated using these criteria:
Content 10 pts.
Organization of ideas 5 pts.
Language facility 5 pts.
Total score: 20 pts

TRANSMUTATION OF SCORE TO GRADE/RATING

Score 20-19 18-17 16-15 14-13 12-11 10-9 8-7 6-5 4-below

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 7

 Grade 1.0 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00

99 96 93 90 87 84 81 78 75

V. Enrichment Activities/Output

Instructions:
 Any kind of paper.
 Use Ballpen
 Deadline of submission is on ________________________________.

Essay Writing: a problem of police brutality, give example and express your ideas about police brutality. (at least 150 words)

Scoring Guide:
Content 40 pts.
Organization of ideas 30 pts.
Language facility 30 pts.
Total score: 100 pts

VI. References:

POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANUAL (REVISED). (2012), Published by: Directorate for Police Community Relations
Retrieved from: https://dpcr.pnp.gov.ph/portal/images/downloads/Publication/PCR%20Manual%202012.pdf

Police Law Enforcement. (2020), Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/police/Early-police-in-the-United-States

Role of Police in America, (2020) Retrieved from: https://www.charleskochinstitute.org/issue-areas/criminal-justice-policing-

reform/role-of-police-in-america/
--- End of Module 2, Lesson 2 ---

Module 2, Lesson 2 Importance of Policing in Social Life Page | 8