Community Policing
The Community Policing in Lisbon – Safer communities tool aims to change the mindset of senior officers and decision-makers towards community policing and motivate them to support and engage with the programme over the long term.
The Problem
Community Policing in Lisbon is a preventive and participative policing approach. It differs from traditional models of policing by being jointly planned and operated by a partnership established between the Lisbon Municipal Police, local partners and residents.
Community Policing in Lisbon is a preventive and participative policing approach. It differs from traditional models of policing by being jointly planned and operated by a partnership established between the Lisbon Municipal Police, local partners and residents.
This policing approach requires close cooperation between the police, partners and residents, through regular partnership meetings and daily patrolling on foot by dedicated police teams assigned to specific neighbourhoods. This enables Community Policing teams to gain recognition and acceptance by the population, facilitating a trusting relationship between police and citizens.
The Tool addresses the problem of Community Police teams being frequently redeployed from their assigned neighbourhoods to other policing tasks. This leaves officers unable to carry out the activities expected of them by partners and residents in their assigned neighbourhood, and so negatively impacts police-community relationships and citizens' trust in policing.
The Tool helps decision-makers and senior police officers in managerial positions better understand and recognise the value of Community Policing, so they support Community Policing teams remaining dedicated to their role in their designated neighbourhoods.
The Tool
The Tool “Community Policing in Lisbon – Safer Communities” is designed to
more effectively engage key decision-makers in the delivery of Community
Policing — in particular, senior police officers.
Briefcase with all the materials
Video
Brochure
The Tool includes materials designed to support collaborative Planning Sessions that engage key Community Policing stakeholders
Held quarterly, these meetings engage senior police officers, key decision-makers and stakeholders in the strategic planning and delivery of Community Policing. Sessions support the generation of ideas and development of short and long-term proposals to improve Community Policing in Lisbon.
The Tool provides high-quality communication materials
designed to promote a clear understanding of the Lisbon Community Policing strategy — and which also support its presentation to senior police officers and decision-makers.
Tool Components
Targeted communication materials
Materials to support Community Policing Strategic Planning Sessions
Digital versions of all the Tool components are available on a USB pen drive as well as online
End-users
The end-users of this Tool are:
Senior-level police officers
Key decision-makers: national and local government; National and Municipal Police
Other key stakeholders: Community Policing teams; Prevention Team; local partners; citizens in Community Policing neighbourhoods
Timeline
Research undertaken
Using design research methods and tools developed by the CCI project, CML undertook a structured process of requirements capture research involving:
Interviews with six police officers (decision-makers and Community Policing officers), one Community Policing partner and one senior-level police officer
Observational research with four Community Policing officers
Three focus groups with 40 participants (25 police officers; 15 partners).
Research findings were analysed to identify themes and develop insight. This enabled the generation of multiple 'problem statements' to be explored in a DesignLab. Through an abstraction laddering exercise, the problem statements were reframed, enabling exploration of underlying issues of Community Policing in Lisbon from different perspectives. In addition, a process map of police community engagement was developed. A Tool specification was written, outlining the requirements and objectives the Tool should meet, and the Tool designed to fulfil this specification.
Tool demonstration
The tool launch event on 14 December 2020 was both face-to-face at the Lisbon Municipal Police (LMP) offices and online. The Lisbon Community Policing – Safer communities Tool was presented to key decision-makers and senior police officers.
Demonstration continued on 16 December 2020, as a Strategic Planning Session held in LMP facilities. This session targeted senior police officers and heads of services, it demonstrated the Strategic Planning Session component of the Tool, which is designed to foster engagement in the planning of Community Policing.
Tool demonstration
Implementation
Has already taken / will take place, during the CCI project
Is planned for the future, after the CCI project has ended
Sources
Diniz, M. and Tulumello, S. (2021) "Making the Case for a Community Policing Approach: Lessons from Lisbon Model", CCI Webinar No.3, 18 May 2021, DPT: Hannover. Available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sbfK_aLtgk
Policy Implications
The Tool Community Policing in Lisbon – Safer Communities is recognised inside the police organisation as an important and very effective means of communicating the Lisbon Community Policing model to strategic decision-makers, and directly influencing urban security policies.
The planning instruments within the Tool facilitate the active participation of senior police officers and decision-makers in the strategic planning and delivery of Community Policing, fostering their support for this innovative policing model and their longer-term engagement.
The CCI Policy Briefing, "Maintaining senior-level police support is key to the sustainable delivery of Community Policing", can be downloaded in the downloads page.
Acknowledgements
LEA research team engaged in researching, designing and demonstrating the tool
Carlos Catana
Cláudia Andrade
Cláudia Santa Cruz
Community Policing Brigade
Filomena Ferreira
Elsa Calado
Francisco Fernandes
Isabel Simões
Joaquim Gordicho
José Antunes Fernandes
José Gil
Mónica Diniz
Paulo Brissos
Paulo Caldas
Rosário Coelho
Rui Abrantes
Teresa Ramalho
Verónica Neves
For further information about this tool, contact:
Mónica Diniz (Lisbon Municipal Police) [email protected] (+351) 91 014 74 87
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 787100
