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**U.S. Department of Justice**        Office of Community Oriented Policing Services            145 N Street, N.E.       Washington, DC 20530      www.cops.usdoj.gov×         Menu         - Home
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**The Stockton Police Department:Underlining the ‘Community’ in ‘Community Policing’**
 December 2018 | Volume 11 | Issue 12

*The COPS Office is pleased to feature the Stockton  (California) Police Department (SPD) as the December 2018 winner of  the Community Policing in Action Photo Contest. The winning photo shows two SPD  downtown bicycle officers helping a young man navigate the city.*

Stockton has a culturally vibrant population that has  earned it a reputation for being a melting pot—which, according to Chief Eric  Jones of the SPD, “serves as a point of pride” for Stockton’s residents.

Through difficult economic times, the SPD has embraced  community policing. “Regardless of your budget and staffing levels, you can  still do community policing work as long as you make it a priority. If it’s a  priority and a philosophy, it’ll work for you,” says Chief Jones.

Since 2012, Stockton has displayed a pattern of steady  improvement, including lower crime rates and a police department staffed nearly  to full capacity. Chief Jones credits the SPD’s relationship with the Stockton  community, as well as the department’s dedication to community policing, as the  major reasons for this improvement. When asked how the SPD has cultivated such  a strong relationship with its community,  Jones cited three of Stockton’s  ongoing community  policing–oriented programs: 
- **The Community Advisory Board**			  SPD personnel and Stockton community members that  meet on a monthly basis to discuss police-community relations and community  policing issues that are specific to trust building.
- **Intelligence Communication and Planning (I-CAP)**			  The SPD analyzes collected data, discusses how the  department should deploy its resources, and brainstorms how the department can  build and cement trust.
- **The Neighborhood Impact Team**			  SPD officers, community service officers, chaplains,  and volunteers who are all responsible for making sure that community members  know that they are the SPD’s first priority, because, as Chief Jones puts it  simply, “it’s the right thing to do.” In the event of a significant issue or  tragic incident affecting Stockton, the team deploys into the community the  following day to help alleviate any concerns related to crime and the SPD’s responses.  “Just because crime scene tape has been taken down doesn’t mean we’re not still  there,” Chief Jones explains.

Chief Jones emphasizes that trust begins at home, saying,  “Community policing is not a program and it’s not a project; it’s infused  within the [SPD’s] culture.” In his role as head of the SPD,  Jones makes it a  priority to visit different divisions and sections in the department because  “internal morale and procedural justice is so important.” He elaborates, “If we  expect officers to be procedurally just out in the field in their community  interactions, we better be displaying those very same core qualities within the  department.” The SPD’s strategic plan, the Two  Pillars of Policing, also plays a large part in encouraging officers  to stay motivated. “We have a very focused vision and mission that gives [the  officers] purpose.”

Chief Jones admits that, while police offers are a “critical  part of the formula of reducing crime and increasing trust,” resources and  technology are also prominent factors. For departments struggling with low  funding, he recommends that law enforcement leaders leverage different  resources that may be operating in silos. In the SPD’s case, the department  works with the city’s Office  of Violence Prevention to ensure that the department is taking full  advantage of all resources possible and using them to their maximum potential. When  Jones recognized that the software application My90 would help the SPD “gauge how  the community really feels,” he worked with the Police Foundation to raise  funds so the department could purchase it and begin using it immediately.

The SPD has prioritized trust building, procedural  justice, and community policing principles without letting hardship get in the  way. As a result, the Stockton community has changed for the better. Chief  Jones praises his officers, like the two bicycle officers featured in the  winning photo, for being the “epitome of community policing.” He states “[SPD  officers] take time out of the day to maintain positive relations with the  community. We’re really proud of these officers.”

The COPS Office congratulates the SPD for being one of the  12 winners of the COPS Office 2018 Community Policing in Action Photo Contest  and for its commitment to community policing.

*Written with contributions from Chief Eric Jones of the Stockton  Police Department. Photo courtesy of the Stockton Police Department.*

To  learn more about related topics, see the following publications:
- Community  Policing Defined
- Procedural  Justice for Law Enforcement: An Overview
- Police-Youth  Dialogues Toolkit - Guide for Improving Relationships and Public Safety through  Engagement and Conversation
- Digital  Community Policing: The New Frontiers in Civilian Engagement 

Shanza Bukhari          COPS Office

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