THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 13, 1994 TAG: 9409130380
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
More than 150 law-enforcement officers from across the country gathered Monday to learn the latest trends in community policing.
They also met to discuss advantages and disadvantages of the concept, which originated in the late 1970s and focuses on fighting crime by forging a relationship between police officers and residents.
``We've found that it is impossible for the police to do it by themselves,'' said Petersburg's police chief, Willie Williams. ``There has got to be a partnership between the community and the police to effectively fight crime.''
The event, the 4th Annual East Coast Conference on Community Policing, is being held at the Omni Newport News Hotel. It is sponsored by the Newport News, Richmond and Baltimore County police departments.
The first conference, in 1991, was also hosted by the Newport News department, which started its community policing that year.
``We're totally dedicated to the concept because we see that it works,'' said Bill Roth, a Newport News police spokesman. ``And as more police agencies see it work, the more they are willing to accept it.''
Workshops included conducting community meetings, citizen participation and patrols, and implementing community-oriented policing with limited resources.
Capt. Ron Schwartz of the Baltimore County Police Department, conducted a seminar titled ``Decentralization: Obstacles and Successes.'' He said his department adopted community policing in 1982, and he was pleased by the number of agencies that sent representatives to the conference.
``We've had it for a long time, longer than a lot of the agencies in the country, and we'd like to think of ourselves as forerunners in the field,'' Schwartz said. ``We think it's important to share our views and experience with other agencies, since we've been doing it so long.''
The conference will continue until Wednesday afternoon.
KEYWORDS: COMMUNITY POLICING by CNB