Distinguish between Community Relations and Public Relations

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Even though community relations and public relations can relate to a relationship between the police and citizens, there are some differences between the two concepts. For example, the definition of community relations should incorporate the following: a philosophy of administration of service, an integration of police operations with community needs, reciprocity, and an ongoing relationship between the police and the public. Public relations like community relations is a broad concept and there many different definitions and implications of it. Nevertheless it does suggest in a positive manner police activities becoming known to the general public. However, each definition holds that public relations include those activities that attempt to explain agency goals and operations to the public and to gain public support for those goals and operations. A useful framework for analyzing community relations and public relations could come about if the following concerns were considered: the purpose of the activity, the processes involved in the activity, and the extent of citizen involvement. Yet, when we look at two different police departments we will see an obvious overlapping of activity in each of these three concerns.