Only by respecting the public will the police be effective in preventing crime

Abstract

David H. Bayley is an internationally recognized scholar of the police who has conducted many studies on the history of the police and the police in contemporary societies. He has shown, from his studies and empirical research, how police can become democratic institutions capable of reducing crime and violence in society: "... the experience in the world is to get the public's respect first, and then you will find people offering the information that really makes the police effective. In other words, I believe that to get police to change, making the case for reform based on effectiveness has far more power than making the case based on norms and values. He reaffirms the importance of evaluation and internal and external control of police work, but says that police officers only collaborate when evaluation and control are aimed at improving the work and increasing the effectiveness of the police.About community policing, he says that it is a police philosophy and not a unit or department of the police. Faced with the multiplicity of experiences identified as "community policing" and the diversity of names given to this type of policing, Bayley proposes to focus attention on the effectiveness of the police and policing: "We have to talk about smart policing and smart policing leads to policing with respect for the public, and policing with respect requires accountability.