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Before  relying  on  the  financial  and  staffing  data  presented,  additional  steps  should  be  taken  to  ensure  that   <br />the  data  points  are  based  upon  the  exact  same  definitions.    For  example,  the  “total  cost  of  services”  may  or   <br />may  not  include  costs  attributable  to  the  police  function  but  may  not  be  included  in  the  police  budget  per   <br />se.      Information  technology  services,  personnel  services,  public  relations,  fleet  management,  training  or   <br />other  activities  might  not  be  included  in  the  police  department  budget  itself.    The  “salary  and  benefits  for   <br />one  officer”  may  or  may  not  include  all  of  the  direct  and  indirect  benefits  attributable  to  an  officer  position.     <br />Or,  varying  definitions  of  “support  staff”  may  have  been  used  by  the  reporting  cities.   <br />   <br />With  respect  to  the  question  of  whether  the  police  function  is  better  provided  internally  or  by   <br />contract  with  another  agency,  only  one  city  (Little  Canada)  provided  insight  into  why  its  decision   <br />was  made.    Roseville  and  Maplewood  did  not  provide  any  information  as  to  whether  there  had   <br />ever  been  any  consideration  of  providing  the  police  function  by  contract,  and,  if  not,  why  not.     <br />Lauderdale  and  Falcon  Heights  did  not  comment  on  the  process  used  for  contracting  with  the  St.   <br />Anthony  Police  Department.         <br />   <br />   <br />COMMUNITY  POLICING   <br />     <br />Community  Policing  dates  back  to  the  1820s  in  London,  but  began  to  be  discussed  in  US  cities  in   <br />the  1980s.  (Today  it  is  being  talked  about  as  a  change  from  what  was  called  the  “broken  window”   <br />theory:  Strict  enforcement  of  every  regulation  to  build  respect  for  law  and  order.  This  was  part  of   <br />the  90s  “tough  on  crime”  legislation.)  With  community  policing,  the  emphasis  shifts  to  community   <br />relations  and  the  advantages  that  come  with  increased  trust  and  cooperation.  Police  admit  that   <br />community  policing  in  tough  neighborhoods  is  very  hard  to  do.  The  police  department  can  be   <br />viewed  as  “just  another  gang.”   <br />   <br />If  any  area  can  employ  community  policing  more  easily,  it  should  be  in  suburbs  like  ours.  Violent   <br />crime  is  not  the  major  concern  here.  “Complaints  are  most  likely  to  be  about  what  officers  say,  not   <br />what  they  do,”  we  are  told.  All  of  our  cities  list  theft  as  the  most  common  crime.   <br />   <br />   <br />   <br />  Falcon  Heights  Lauderdale  Little  Canada  Maplewood  Roseville   <br />Area  2.24  sq.  mi.  .5  sq.  mi.  3.89  sq.  mi.  17.9  sq.  mi.  13.8  sq.  mi.   <br />Population  5,513  2,700  10,228  40,199  35,319   <br />%  Residential  65%  41.6%  42%  43%  44.8%   <br />   <br />Census  Bureau  Statistics   <br />   <br />   <br />   <br />   <br />