COPS, KIDS, AND COMMUNITY POLICING - AN ASSESSMENT OF A COMMUNITY POLICING DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - RESEARCH NOTE

This article presents evaluation findings from a community policing de monstration project undertaken during the summer months of 1992 in Spo kane, Washington. Police officers assigned to the project were involve d with youths in brief nonthreatening weekly interactions, which they expected might improve the image of the police, promote law-abiding be havior and instill in the youths a conventional work ethic. Data from three sources (observations, focus group interviews, and survey resear ch) indicate positive program outcomes for participating youths, their parents, and the officers involved with the project.