Title: Engagement
Headings: Engagement and communication
Engagement and communication
Engagement
Contents
Introduction
Community engagement
Service design and delivery
Further information
Core policing commitment
Why the police need to engage
Democratic mandate
Intermediate strategic
Neighbourhood policing
Further information
Engagement and police legitimacy
Police effectiveness
Perceptions of police fairness
Stop and search example
Next steps
Benefits of effective engagement
Achieving results
Effective management of engagement
Training
Failing to engage
Further information
The confidence cycle
Using engagement information
Whom the police should engage with
Further information
Neighbourhood priorities
Understanding communities
Neighbourhood profiles
Factors affecting communities
Further information
Creating neighbourhood profiles
Case study
Community impact
Further information
Community impact assessment
The threat, risk and harm to communities
Risk assessments
Information sharing
Factors
Health and disability
Equalities/discrimination factors
Economic circumstances
Personal circumstances
Family circumstances
How to engage with communities
Communication plans
Legal framework
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011
Localism Act 2011
ECHR, equality and the duty to engage
Public sector equality duty
Accountability and transparency
Democratic accountability
Case study
Force level accountability
Neighbourhood level accountability
Engagement feedback
Levels of participation
Further information

Content: Engagement
Engagement and communication
Engagement
Without the cooperation of the public, policing in developed democracies would become essentially unworkable. In simple terms, the police service would cease to function without the active support of the communities it serves. Evidence has shown that effective community engagement, targeted foot patrols and collaborative problem solving can significantly increase public confidence in policing activity. By improving public perceptions and increasing trust through fair decision making and positive public interaction, the police service can enhance its legitimacy. Contents
1 Introduction
2 Community engagement
2.1 Service design and delivery
3 Why the police need to engage
3.1 Engagement and police legitimacy
3.1.1 Police effectiveness
3.2 Perceptions of police fairness
3.3 Benefits of effective engagement
3.4 Effective management of engagement
3.5 Failing to engage
3.6 The confidence cycle
4 Whom the police should engage with
4.1 Understanding communities
4.1.1 Creating neighbourhood profiles
4.2 Community impact
4.2.1 Community impact assessment
4.3 The threat, risk and harm to communities
4.3.1 Factors
5 How to engage with communities
5.1 Communication plans
5.2 Legal framework
5.3 ECHR, equality and the duty to engage
5.4 Accountability and transparency
5.4.1 Engagement feedback
5.5 Levels of participation
Introduction
Research suggests that the way in which officers behave when engaging with the public helps to reduce crime by encouraging respect for the law and fostering social responsibility, making people more likely to help the police and not break the law. As the effects on crime are largely preventive and rely on voluntary public cooperation, improved public engagement and encounters can help the police avoid the financial costs associated with enforcing the law, detecting crime and processing offenders. Considerations
A structured approach includes the following factors: why the police need to engage with communities
who the police should engage with in communities
how to engage with communities. Community engagement
The process of enabling citizens and communities to participate in policing at their chosen level is known as engagement. This ranges from providing information and assurance, to empowering them to identify and implement solutions to local problems and influence strategic priorities and decisions.