Here To Stay

Williams says community policing would not be a viable philosophy if Cambridge was in the midst of a crime wave. Crime, however, is dropping in nearly every category, mimicking a national trend.

Violent crime in the city declined more than 24 percent in the past two years and total crime was down just under 20 percent, according to statistics in a report released by the CPD.

Community policing initiatives are credited with contributing to significant decreases in violent crime nationwide.

Cities from New York to Durham, North Carolina have all instituted community policing programs to battle crime.

Last week, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority added cops to the subway beats in the name of community policing.

But community policing does have its critics who charge that police officers become, in the words of one critic, "like social workers," instead of focusing their energies on solving crimes.

Critics are also cautious about the effects of more direct contact between police and citizens, arguing that the chances for favorable treatment of some citizens over others increases with community policing.

But community policing in Cambridge is here to stay according to many CPD officers.

At the Tobin school meeting, Synnott had a message for the Cantabrigians he protects and for community policing's critics.

"Join us or not, community policing is here," Synnott said. "It's gonna be here in the future. Jump on it."

The Theoretical Approach

The community policing style of police work follows the "broken windows" theory of law enforcement, a term coined by UCLA political scientist James Q. Wilson.

As in repairing a crumbling building, the act of engaging people to repair their community gives them pride in their surroundings, Wilson contends.

Naturally, citizens want to maintain a high standard of living.