Page 6 - 1Proactive Policing

Pro-Active Policing

generating and sustaining more serious crime. Disorder is not directly linked to serious crime;
instead, disorder leads to increased fear and withdrawal from residents, which then allows more

serious crime to move in because of decreased levels of informal social control.

Black Law Theory:

In 1976 Donald Black introduced a scientific social theory on The Behavior of Law. Black defines

law as ―governmental social control.‖ In 1997, Wong restated Black‘s concept of law as ―more or
less governmental social control.‖ Law as more or less governmental social control exists when
the government endorses private social control activities or otherwise delegates social control

powers to private parties. This research used Wong‘s restatement of Black‘s concept of law to
investigate the law enforcement role and functions of the Strike Committee during the Canton-

Hong Kong strike (1925-1926).

The theory‘s subject matter is present wherever there are moral disputes, wherever one person

has a grievance against another, wherever one person defines another‘s behavior as deviant.
Conflict may occur wherever there is social life, then, and it may lead to arrests, restraining
orders, suicides, thefts, boycotts, protests, revolutions, and numerous other responses. But the

nature of the disputes themselves does not explain how they are handled. Some insults may lead
to homicides, for example, and some homicides may lead to executions.

Assumptions:

1. Maintaining a visible and proactive police presence in neighborhoods will deter crime and
criminal behavior, as well as reduce the public's fear of crime. Both goals are equally important
and contribute to enhancing trust between citizens and police.

2. Police officers must actively enforce laws even for low-level crimes and violations, before there

is a call for service. This will prevent more serious crimes in the future.

3. Law enforcement must shift away from using only reactive policing tactics (i.e., simply

responding to calls after a crime has occurred). This is important if police are going to
meaningfully contribute to reducing crime and the public's fear of crime.

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