International Community Policing Partnership.

Located approximately 45 minutes south of Cleveland, Medina, Ohio, encompasses nearly 11 square miles and has a population of about 25,000 residents. As with other small communities located near metropolitan areas, citizens of Medina face many of the same threats to their peaceful lifestyles as those encountered by residents of large cities. To strengthen its commitment to safeguarding the public and serving its citizens' needs, the Medina Police Department adopted the community policing philosophy in January 1995. Since that time, the department has received over $1 million in federal grants for its community policing efforts and has won local, state, and national recognition for these strategies.

To share its experiences and successes, the department began an international community policing partnership with the Ballymena Neighborhood Policing Unit of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland. This partnership has developed into an ongoing exchange of information and ideas that has benefitted both agencies.

Background

In April 1998, the mayor [1] of Medina took a personal vacation to the United Kingdom. While visiting Northern Ireland, he shared a few days with a local family who took him to visit the Borough of Ballymena in County Antrim. The borough has a population of about 57,000 and covers nearly 200 square miles. About half of the borough's population resides in the town of Ballymena. Agriculture represents the borough's main industry, with the retail establishments of the town providing additional employment. The mayor noted several similarities between the town's retail center and the downtown shopping area of Medina.

While touring the town, the mayor met a local 19-year veteran constable. During their conversation, the constable asked the mayor about community policing strategies in the United States. The mayor advised the constable that he would contact the Medina Police Department and have it forward information on its community policing initiatives and operations. Thus, a partnership began between the Medina Police Department and the Ballymena Neighborhood Policing Unit.

Partnership Developed

When the mayor returned from his trip, he provided me with the constable's business card and requested that I contact him to exchange community policing ideas and strategies. For the next 2 years, Constable Bob Young and I worked together via telephone, mail, and e-mail to share what has worked in our community policing efforts, steps taken to implement these initiatives, improvements made since these efforts began, and future ideas we want to explore. As we worked together, we realized that it would benefit both agencies if I visited Ballymena to better understand his agency's requirements and help him implement some of our successful initiatives. The mayor concurred and supported my request to travel to Northern Ireland.

I arranged the trip for April 2000 and scheduled visits to area schools, businesses, police agencies, community groups, government institutions, courts, and local religious organizations. At Constable Young's invitation, I stayed the 2 weeks with his family. This arrangement exposed me to more of the differences between American and Irish cultures and gave the two of us more time to share our thoughts and ideas.

Northern Ireland Explored

On the afternoon of my arrival, Constable Young gave me a tour of his police station where I met several officials. Later, I attended a meeting between the police and about 12 high school students who discussed issues of concern, areas where they would like to see more police presence, and suggestions for improving youth activities and police services relating to area youth.

For the next 2 weeks, I attended meetings with Royal Ulster Constabulary Police personnel, particularly the Ballymena Neighborhood Policing Unit. We discussed problem-solving techniques, differences in laws and policing practices, and community policing initiatives. I attended various in-service training sessions with the constables, including problem solving, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, riot control, and canine handling. I visited the basic training academy and spoke with recruits and the academy training staff, regarding community policing principles.

In addition to my law enforcement contacts, I spent a considerable amount of time talking with community and religious leaders, local media representatives, and business owners, both individually and in groups. Besides discussing community policing efforts, I also took part in a domestic violence forum and several local community meetings.

The preplanned media contacts occurred during the first week of my visit, but due to the attention my visit drew, more requests for media interviews spilled over into the second week. Both local newspapers interviewed me, along with both local television channels and a radio station. While the interviews focused mainly on my visit, they also provided me with a chance to discuss the concept of community policing with a wide and diverse audience.

Lessons Learned

I have found this international community policing partnership very beneficial and informative. The Royal Ulster Constabulary, especially the Ballymena Neighborhood Policing Unit, has made great strides in partnerships and collaboration within its community. This stands as no easy achievement with the unrest and militant activities that have occurred for decades in Northern Ireland. While the political climate has calmed recently, vast differences still exist in comparison to American policing. For example, I learned that England makes all of the laws, which may not have the same relevance in Northern Ireland. England also appoints court judges, which limits or restricts their accountability to the citizens. Further, for security purposes, the police must use radios with scrambled frequency and employ ear speakers to avoid unauthorized monitoring. Many police officers cannot discuss where they work for fear of harm to themselves or their families, and each police station must have a cafeteria because police personnel cannot eat safely in public. Since 1969, the Royal Ulster Constabulary has had over 300 members killed and nearly 10,000 members injured in the line of duty, all from a total sworn membership of approximately 13,000. To develop, maintain, and improve community policing efforts in such an environment illustrates the agency's commitment to the public it serves.

Constable Young has kept me informed of continuing developments that have occurred as a direct result of my visit. For example, the Ballymena Neighborhood Police Unit has implemented our department's bicycle patrol program by using bicycles as a means of patrolling areas and developing closer ties with local citizens. Also, the unit has begun using our WON (Watching Our Neighborhoods) program. This concept employs cards which officers leave at dwellings to notify residents that the police were patrolling their neighborhoods in case no one saw them at the time. Most encouraging, Constable Young recently informed me that the unit will receive additional constables to help with its community policing effort.

Conclusion

The international community policing partnership between the Medina Police Department and the Royal Ulster Constabulary constitutes one of the best training experiences of my 19-year law enforcement career. I have made local and state presentations on my visit to Northern Ireland to share my invaluable experiences with law enforcement professionals, civic groups, and other community organizations. More important, Constable Bob Young of the Ballymena Neighborhood Police Unit has accepted my invitation to visit the Medina Police Department in the near future and actively participate in our community policing efforts.

If given the opportunity to partner with another law enforcement agency, officers should welcome the chance to exchange and share policing principles and methods. Such an effort can prove a very enriching and positive experience to observe, compare, and witness policing in other areas, as well as cultural differences both inside and outside the United States that can influence how officers interact with the citizens they are sworn to protect.

Endnote 

(1.) James S. Roberts' official title is Mayor/Safety Director because he oversees both the fire and police departments of Medina, along with performing his mayoral duties.

Medina Police Department Community Programs

Bicycle and Foot Patrols

Officers patrol not only in cruisers but on bicycle and foot as well.

School Resource Officers

Three officers work in area schools as liaison between the department and school personnel, students, and parents.

Neighborhood Watch

The department helps citizens start and maintain Neighborhood Watch groups to reduce crime and violence.

Tip Line

The department monitors an anonymous tip line that residents can call to report incidents or pass along information.

Bicycle Safety Rodeos 

Officers teach bicycle safety and riding skills to children, inspect their bicycles for safety, and register them for bicycle licenses.

Vacation Watch

Residents fill out a simple form to have officers check periodically on their homes when they are out of town.

Behind the Badge 

Officers appear on a monthly cable television show that highlights various aspects of the police department and covers a variety of law enforcement-related topics of interest to the community.

Community Police Academy

This program provides area residents with firsthand information about how their police department works, acquaints them with law enforcement's role in the criminal justice system, and provides increased understanding of the tasks police officers face in their daily work.

WON Cards

Officers leave WON (Watching Our Neighborhoods) cards at residences after patrolling the area to advise residents of their presence and notify them of any problems.

Juvenile Diversion

This program serves as an option for juvenile offenders who are monitored on a regular basis while having to abide by certain rules and guidelines. Infractions can result in having charges filed.

STRIVE Camp

Each summer, the department conducts the STRIVE (Students Taking Responsibility for Initiative, Responsibility, and Excellence) camp for at-risk youth.

Liaison Officers

Two officers handle liaison with the subsidized housing apartment complexes, hold monthly meetings with residents, issue newsletters, and help organize special events.

Seminars

Officers conduct seminars about the dangers and downfalls of drug abuse and gang involvement, school violence, road rage, women's assault survival, and fraud and scam activities.

Areas of Responsibility

Officers have geographical areas of the city assigned to them and are responsible for getting to know the residents and their problems and concerns.

Adopt-A-Senior

This program encourages officers on patrol in their assigned areas of responsibility to visit seniors who may experience difficulties living on their own.