The small‐town police department

Abstract

This conceptual article focuses on the small‐town municipal‐level police department, as a distinctive model within the mosaic of US policing. As an example of the success of a low‐tech, nonmilitarized, open systems model, the small‐town police department stands in stark contrast to its urban counterpart. As a result of its affinity towards generalization as opposed to specialization, the small‐town department has higher crime clearance rates and is organizationally receptive to the demands and requirements of community‐oriented policing. The small‐town police department’s absence of “professionalism” and militarism is key to its community connectedness, the foundation of its efficacy.