Most agencies know that partnerships are one of community policing's core components.
What may not be so obvious to agency leaders are the ethical challenges that beat officers face as they attempt to straddle that fine line between partner and friend. A beat officer who is doing his or her job right will interact frequently with community members. In fact, nearly every workday a beat officer will see, talk to and meet with citizen volunteers, business owners and employees, neighborhood residents and other government employees. Given these circumstances, it's not unusual for a beat officer to have more contact with individuals outside of his or her agency than within. Friendships formed within this context are a natural outgrowth of the officer's efforts to build trust and foster productive communication.