juveniles' Attitudes Toward the Police 47marked by mutual respect and understanding. Officer Riley worked hard to educate
Devon about the consequences of his behavior and encouraged him to attend and
succeed in school. Devon believed his SLO was not "out to get him" and that he was
honest and trustworthy. Unfortunately, this perception did not generalize to other
police officers. When Devon came into contact with police in the community, he
was defensive, angry, and scared. He thought that he must have done something
wrong and that they were looking for him. He viewed his SLO as an exception to
the rule, and that Officer Riley was the only police officer whom he could talk to
and who might actually listen and believe him.
Forensic Psychology and Policy ImplicationsCommunity policing and problem-solving policing are law enforcement strategies
designed to promote the positive role of policing in the community and which may
be successful at instilling a positive attitude in juveniles toward the police. Com-
munity policing involves the development of a working partnership between the
community and the police to better citizens' lives by addressing issues of crime and
disorder. Community members work with officers to identify problems and find
workable solutions (Schmalleger, 1997). These solutions often have a significant
affect on children and their view of the police. For instance, the efforts of com-
munity policing has involved making the law enforcement system visible through
school activities, antidrug and alcohol programs, and sporting events. By encour-
aging parents to support these positive efforts, children become educated about
the positive role of police. It is important that juveniles not only become aware
of a specific police officer such as their School—Liaison Officer, but that they are
aware of other members of the police force and are able to develop a positive view
of police in general. This may be enhanced by ensuring that minority police are
highly involved in demonstrating a positive role and that they reflect the entire de-
partment. Minority juveniles may be inclined to view the police negatively because
they are formed by another group of people who are different from themselves.
Dispelling this point of view may engender benefits for both the juveniles and the
community.
Problem-solving policing is a style of policing that involves addressing the un-
derlying social conditions or social problems that relate to crime, as it assumes that
many crimes are a result of specific social conditions in a community. Through this
type of policing, community members are educated about issues related to crime
prevention and the police make use of community resources such as counseling cen-
ters or job-training facilities in their efforts to control crime (Schmalleger, 1997).
Imposing this type of policing would allow officers to target the conditions that
cause juveniles to espouse delinquent attitudes and activities. Understanding the
root of these behaviors would also help curb younger children from engaging in
these same activities as they get older.