Many reports from newspapers and journals claim that community policing is increasing in popularity across the United States. However there are also numerous reports that point out that community policing is not a panacea for all social ills. While community policing is in theory a very effective way of combating crime, yet in reality there are many practical problem that have to be overcome. .

             Community policing is generally seen as a system of policing that requires optimum cooperation between the police force and the public so that the most effective methods of crime prevention and apprehension can be employed. A definition from the California Attorney General's Office is a as follows: "Community policing is a philosophy, management style, and organizational strategy that promotes pro-active problem solving and police-community partnerships to address the causes of crime and fear as well as other community issues." (COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING) In a theoretical and ideal sense community policing is, .

             a collaborative effort between the police and the community that identifies problems of crime and disorder and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these problems. It is founded on close, mutually beneficial ties between police and community members." (About Community Policing) .

             However there are many problems area that have to be practically dealt with in order to ensure that community policing actually lives up to these ideals. One aspect that comes to the fore when discussing this problem is that the entire concept of this form of law and order enforcement and management lies in the integration between the police and the community. One of the specific problems encountered concerns a reticence on the part of some police officers to fully participate in this symbiotic relationship. As one study puts this problem: "While community policing promises an expansion of the professional role which will be appealing to many police officers, it also requires experimentation with major changes in the way in which officers and their departments think about and organize their work.