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ABSTRACT
Community oriented policing efforts have been questioned by immigrant community residents and law enforcement agencies as a counter terrorism strategy. The communities fear being targeted by law enforcement concerning immigration issues. Law enforcement agencies believe that the residents of the immigrant communities can provide critical information on counter terrorism activities but are hesitant to share information fearing it will be used against them during immigration proceedings. As a result, a lack of trust can develop between the stakeholders that can hinder domestic counter terrorism efforts and impact the business environment. This paper will review the associated literature and provide recommendations that can be adopted to increase the trust between the stakeholders and may also improve the business environment.
Key Words: Community Policing, Terrorism, Counter Terrorism, Social Cohesion, Security
BACKGROUND
Since September 11, 2001 the United States and Europe have been at a heightened state of security awareness due to terrorist acts committed against their countries. While much of the counter terrorism efforts reside against enemies outside of the United States, some have argued that the more serious terrorist threat is from the enemies already living in our communities. The challenge facing the United States and its European counterparts is developing strategies whereby law enforcement can build trusting relationships with immigrant community stakeholders that support information sharing without the fear of being targeted as supporting terrorists or apprehended due to illegal immigration issues.
HISTORY OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Community oriented policing (COP) has been at the forefront of law enforcement for the past 40 years. It is characterized as policing that emphasizes community involvement, through partnerships, in crime prevention efforts. This contrasts with the more traditional policing efforts that focus on law enforcement and order maintenance (Gill, Weisburd, Telep, Vitter & Bennett, 2014 and Pickering, McCulloch & WrightNeville, 2010).
Policing in the United States developed through three distinct historical periods: The Political Era, the Reform Era and the Community Problem Solving Era. The Political Era developed in the mid-1800s with the rise of the modern police force. As related by Walker (1977), American police departments first developed in the larger northern cities in the early 1800s as an outgrowth of a system of night watches. The movement towards law enforcement systems involving permanent government...