At its heart, community oriented policing is a philosophy under which enforcement, prevention, problem solving, and community involvement are used simultaneously to attack crime and its root causes. Because community oriented policing requires a proactive approach to be successful, the police and community must work together as partners in identifying and addressing issues and problems.

Two of the key elements of community oriented policing are:

Public Involvement: Citizens as groups or individuals work with police to identify priorities and implementing responses. Without input from the community, the Lexington Police Department cannot hope to effectively or efficiently serve the citizens and business owners of Lexington

Proactive Enforcement: Instead of adhering to the reactive, traditional approach to law enforcement (where police become involved only after a crime has been committed), community oriented policing is based upon citizens and police identifying needs so that crime can be prevented. Once needs are identified under the partnership model described above, police and the public work together to deter crime by making potential targets less inviting. This may involve other departments within Town Hall or civic groups cooperating with the police to bring about a lasting solution.

Within the Town of Lexington Police Department, the Community Action Team (CAT) is the unit primarily responsible for community oriented policing. CAT officers receive special training in community relations, crime prevention, and gang trends. Working with the patrol and criminal investigations divisions, CAT officers insure that community input is part of the action plans patrol officers and detectives work under.

The Department has compiled a list of crime prevention tips, and the Department's CAT Officers will conduct a security audit of your residence or business upon request. The CAT Officers can also speak to your neighborhood group or business about crime prevention strategies.

For further information about how the Lexington Police Department can help you, please contact Corporal Doug Lee, the Community Action Team supervisor, at dlee1@lexsc.com or (803) 359-6260.