Nicole Taylor Community Policing Collapse There has been a shift in focus from community policing to homeland security since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Because of this, there has been a reduction in financial support for community policing efforts as the funding for homeland security as increased. Research suggests that community policing funding decreased from $800 million in 2000 to $400 million in 2004 (Chappell and Gibson 2009). This “is trouble because…the police-community relationship…is an important component in gathering intelligence and preventing future terrorist attacks” (Chappell & Gibson, 2009, p. 327). There are certain tactics used by community policing that could be applied to homeland security, including targeting repeat offenders, task forces that cross jurisdictional lines, early warning systems, and utilizing surveillance in areas that are known to be high-risk. Both community policing and homeland security strategies encourage partnerships between agencies and the importance of decreasing fear among members of the community. There must also be a balance between aggressive tactics and community intervention and prevention in order for community policing to work (Chappell & Gibson, 2009). Prevention should begin at the local level, and should reflect the national goal and standard for managing and responding to terrorist incidents or threats (Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS], 2017). It is essential for local, state, and federal agencies to communicate with one another in regards to perceived threats, and to ensure that accurate flow of information is occurring. One strength of community policing is the ability to promote trust and communication between members of the community and police agencies, as well as providing safety and stability in regards to community crime. The incidents at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and the mass shooting at the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Christmas party show the importance of using community policing to pay attention to “hot spots” in certain neighborhoods, and ensure that certain individuals are being monitored. There does need to be a line drawn between observing and monitoring suspicious individuals, and racially profiling certain people groups. However, if someone has shown to be favorable to extremist groups, such as Omar Mateen, their investigations should not necessarily be dismissed easily. It is difficult to prevent terrorist attacks, but community policing can provide an initial evaluation for the federal government in regards to individuals who are suspected to be a part of a terrorist organization. This initial evaluation and monitoring of certain homes or businesses can help provide the federal government with important information that can prevent a future terrorist attack. (416) References Chappell, A. & Gibson, S. (2009). Community policing and homeland secur ...