How can law enforcement agencies benefit from the concept and art of marketing?

An urgent need:

Marketing is concerned with satisfying the needs and desires of individuals by providing goods and services, which requires first knowing what the needs and desires of these individuals are. In fact, the human need for security is not a luxury that some individuals may enjoy without others in society. All literature and studies, and even the lessons we have learned from history, whether ancient or contemporary, have proven that security is one of the basic needs of life.

In his famous research paper “The Theory of Human Motivation” in 1943, Abraham Maslow, one of the greatest psychologists, arranged the human needs in a hierarchy based on physiological needs such as food, drink, and other needs, followed by the need for security in its comprehensive concept.

*Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs.

What can marketing provide for police and law enforcement agencies?

As a matter of fact, the marketing process is based on the exchange of benefits between two parties. The service provider provides a benefit to members of the community in exchange for another benefit that may be in the form of cash or anything else. In view of the security system represented by the police force in its various sectors, it is considered the service provider, as the service here is intended to maintain public order and bring outlaws to justice in addition to any other services provided by the police. While the other party is the recipient of the service, which is the society as a whole that this security system strives to protect and serve; thus, what can society offer to the police in order for the exchange process to take place? In fact, there is a lot that society can offer to the police force, such as community support, information, cooperation in detecting crimes, public discipline, and other benefits that contribute to making the police force more efficient, effective, and reliable. Therefore, there is a correlation between the two mentioned benefits, the more a person gets a good police service, the more he/she becomes committed, disciplined, cooperative, and supportive.

What is meant by a good police service?

In fact, this concept may differ from one person to another and from one society to another. Everyone in the community has a mental image of the police and expectations that they hope will be met when needed. There are many factors that lead to the formation of that mental image and affect the individual’s expectations of the police force, including cultural factors, education level, and personal experiences, as well as political, economic, and social variables that determine the relationship between the law enforcement agencies and society, as well as the strength of the relationship between them.

How to utilize marketing in police and law enforcement agencies?

Marketing plays an important role and offers an unconventional solution in determining the expectations of community members about the police force and its mental image, in order to develop the appropriate strategy for the continuous improvement of that mental image, and even surpassing their expectations when dealing with the police force. This can be achieved through the following:

• Applying market research:

In order to identify community needs and identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats.

• Applying marketing research:

The application of marketing research, which differs from the aforementioned market research in that it is concerned with how to provide the service appropriately and ways of communicating with members of the community.

• Creating and developing databases:

At the level of the police force as a whole and at the level of directorates, sections, and centers to determine the characteristics of the community within the scope of competence to provide the security service in an appropriate manner.

• Utilizing social media:

Using social media as an advantage by activating its role in improving the mental image of police through advertising, communicating with society, and developing a representative and responsive platform.

•  Human resources management:

Starting with selection, preparation, training, and education, to the development of a strategy that guarantees continuous learning in order to adapt to the successive changes and developments.

• Identification of the police force:

Including facilities, vehicles, and uniforms, as it has a positive impact on the mental image of members of society as well as a presentation of commitment and discipline.

• Choosing and preparing the best elements to deal with the press and the media:

Representatives must be well selected and prepared to broadcast formal statements and so to answer the questions of the concerned community in order to demonstrate responsiveness and democratic policing. In addition to delivering direct and indirect messages to the community regarding their interests and concerns.

• Activating and maximizing the societal and humanitarian role of the police force:

Which has a profound impact on improving the mental image, as police officers are always the first responders to any incident and do whatever they can to save a life or prevent harm either by facing crimes or supporting victims. Law enforcement agencies should use all necessary public information means to inform the public about the efforts and sacrifices of the police. On the other hand, police officers must be trained to be community-oriented and build bridges between their organization and the citizens they serve.

• Relying on quantitative and statistical methods in analyzing data and information:

It is important to analyze crimes as well as public opinion and interests periodically, however, these analyses should be based on reliable data gathered through a scientific method so that the leadership can take the appropriate decision based on reliable outcomes.

Conclusion:

The public administration has developed and learned from the private sector to benefit from its practices in order to develop its working mechanisms. In the other two decades, many concepts appeared in the field of public administration that had originally arisen in the field of business administration and the private sector to maximize profitability (material and moral), as the return here is greater which is the community members’ feeling of satisfaction, which increases their loyalty and belonging. Therefore, the development of public services does not come without knowledge, research, and application along with the development of non-traditional methods for solving problems.