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later, the Task Force on Police, part of the 1973 National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, “made its own suggestions for improving police training.” Bailey suggested that these were not necessarily “oriented toward a philosophical or moral position vis-à-vis democracy or pluralism as with the 1967 task force” but “seemed more interested in upgrading police training for pragmatic reasons.” While it endorsed the earlier task force's recommendation for a minimum 4-year college degree, it also suggested that basic training should consist of a minimum of 10 weeks, with an emphasis on “performance and efficiency” (Bailey, p. 528). Further, it was viewed that by studying the psychological and sociological principles of human behaviour, recruits could gain a better understanding of the community, thus reducing hostility and, consequently, reducing citizen complaints and litigation. While the objective may have been more pragmatically oriented—that is, with an eye on improving the measurable efficiency and effectiveness of the police—retrospectively, this transition represented an important stepping stone toward embracing the philosophy of community policing and an important paradigm shift in basic police training.
The principle focus of community policing was on building meaningful and collaborative partnerships with the community (Miller & Hess, 2005; Roberg et al., 2000). Gaines and Miller (2005) explained that some of the principle attributes of community policing have their origins in the practices of the political era, despite the ill effects of political corruption. They explained that “during the nineteenth century, police were much more involved in the community than they were after reforms.” It represented a time when “police officers performed many duties that today are associated with social services, such as operating soup kitchens and providing lodging for homeless people.” In spirit, they contended that “community policing advocated a return to this understanding of the police mission,” which represented a genuine concern and connection with the community. Because of the centrality accorded to the notion of “reconnecting with the community,” there have been multiple approaches and methodologies toward achieving the same goal, again underscoring the importance for renewed training (pp. 182–184).