Four Wheel Drive Policing – The Coactive Response

I used the opportunity of our jeep tour in Wadi Rum to illustrate the principle of Four Wheel Drive Policing.

Coactive Policing can be compared to a four wheel drive vehicle. When all the wheels are pulling together in the same direction, the vehicle can cover some difficult terrain. In the same way, a community that pulls together can overcome many community problems related to crime, fear of crime, and neighborhood decay and disorder.

One wheel represents law enforcement and local government. The other three represent the other components of the community – the business sector, the academic sector, the faith-based sector, and the citizens themselves. That’s why I am so supportive of the Character Cities initiative because it brings all of these community sectors together to work toward common goals in a coactive manner.