PATTERNS OF COMMUNITY POLICING IN NONURBAN AMERICA

To date most community policing research has taken place in large urba n areas. Only a handful of studies, most wing case study or small-N cr oss-sectional methodologies, have explored patterns of community polic ing in the small police agencies and nonurban areas that exist through out much of the United Stares. Using data from the Justice Department' s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, this study examines levels and patterns of community policing implementation in a sample o f nearly 6,000 American law enforcement agencies serving populations l ess than 50,000. The authors find significant variations in levels of community policing activity by geographic region and department size, with larger agencies and those from the Western region of the United S lates practicing a wider range of community-policing-related activitie s. The implications of these findings are discussed for three areas: f uture research on the police, current federal community policing progr ams and policies, and the broader community policing reform movement.