The small-town police department

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.