What is i.C.O.P.?

Internet Based Community Oriented Policing

Community oriented policing is not about sophisticated programs, specially trained officers or federal grants. To me, community policing is an attitude, a frame of mind and an individual commitment to address all quality of life issues; not just violations of criminal laws. It is individual officers working with members of the community they serve. It is good old-fashioned partnerships, not unlike those we formed decades ago with Neighborhood Watch or crime prevention programs. We must be an extension of the community, the neighborhood and citizens. We cannot be apart from them. For if we are, we cannot serve; we can only occupy time and space.

To serve our communities even better, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office is bringing community-policing efforts to the internet. ‘i.C.O.P.’ simply stands for, Internet based Community Oriented Policing. Although nothing will ever replace the face-to-face contact with a deputy or officer and this certainly does not replace our traditional law enforcement techniques, we will attempt to bring you some of the services available at most of our station houses or annexes – like crime prevention literature and crime alerts. To serve you even better, i.C.O.P. will provide direct e-mail links to our Crime Prevention Specialists in East, West, Central and South county. You can inquire about Neighborhood Watch, crime prevention tips and crime statistics in Contra Costa neighborhoods. i.C.O.P. also has a ‘forum’ where you can post your thoughts on crime prevention or Neighborhood Watch. On the ‘Ask a Deputy’ page, you can ask a law enforcement officer a non-emergency question that is not related to a case (as always, if you have a genuine emergency, call 911).

We encourage you to browse around i.C.O.P. As this is a new venture and we believe we are the first law enforcement agency to offer such a broad range of services over the internet, we of course are open to any suggestions or comments. We are here to serve you.

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