Community Policing

Community policing is a value system in which the primary organizational goal is working cooperatively with individual citizens, groups of citizens, and both public and private organizations to identify and resolve issues that potentially affect the livability of specific neighborhoods, areas, or the city as a whole.

Community-based police departments recognize the fact that the police cannot effectively deal with such issues alone, and must partner with others who share a mutual responsibility for resolving problems.

Community policing stresses prevention, early identification, and timely intervention to deal with issues before they become unwieldy problems. Individual officers tend to function as general-purpose practitioners who bring together both government and private resources to achieve results. Officers are encouraged to spend considerable time and effort in developing and maintaining personal relationships with citizens, businesses, schools, and community organizations.

Mission

The department's mission is to provide the residents of St. Joseph a safe environment, enhancing the quality of life for families and business alike. The department's focus on community policing strives to integrate officers into the community to reduce crime and foster community relations.

"The City of St. Joseph Police Department ensures that the deaf and hard-of hearing people have full and equal enjoyment of its services, privileges, advantages and accommodations, and it will provide Auxiliary Aids and Services at no cost to ensure Effective Communication with these individuals. Ask us for help or contact the Deaf and Hard-of Hearing Coordinator for the City of St. Joseph Police Department."