VOA标准英语2014--社区警务旨在创建更安全的社区

 

Community Policing Aims to Create Safer Neighborhoods 社区警务旨在创建更安全的社区

LONG BEACH, CALIF.—

The shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer during a street confrontation¹ in Ferguson, Missouri has sparked debate about racial divisions in America, and the sometimes hostile relationship between police and some communities. Many police departments, including the one in racially diverse Long Beach, California, are using a technique called community policing to both fight crime and improve relations.

Through the years, the city of Long Beach has struggled with gang violence, poverty, and racial tensions among residents and with police.

Resident Jacob Sarenana, 22, said he has experienced it firsthand.

“They always try to mess with me. I ask 'what’s the reason for pulling me over?' [The police will say] 'Oh, because you fit the description.'  Really? Really, yeah, I guess I’m always fitting the description then, because I’m always getting pulled over,” said Sarenana.

Community activist² Darick Simpson has been working to improve relations by coordinating³ meetings between young people and officers.

Simpson said in a city where more than 30% of youth under 17 are poor, poverty and racial differences become the causes of conflict.

“With any differences come some misunderstanding. People bring their culture, they bring that history into the workplace into schools, into different social scenarios,” said Simpson.

While racial differences can cause conflict, Simpson said he has seen improvement over the years. Last year, the city saw its lowest violent crime rate in more than 40 years. So far this year, the numbers are even lower.

Don Rodriguez works with young people in the city, and said officers are more involved with the community than ever before.

“Now we’re seeing more community people involved in the policing, working with the police, police getting a better feel of the community,” said Rodriguez.

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that in past years, officers would tell the community what the problems were and try to fix them. But that philosophy has changed into one of “community policing” -- partnering with citizens and community leaders to solve deep-rooted problems in the neighborhoods.

“We build a team. And when you have a team, when a crisis comes up, you’re not dealing⁴ with it by yourself. And too often when we see things get volatile⁵ across America, whether it’s a racial issue or another similar type of issue -- it’s often because there aren’t those pre-existing relationships in place,” explained McDonnell.

But, he pointed⁶ out, even successful partnerships⁷ are not a guarantee that conflicts won’t happen.

“We will always have issues that arise. We will always have that potential for conflict.  It’s not if it happens, it’s when, and more importantly, how we deal with it when it does happen,” said McDonnell.

McDonnell said the key to shifting deep-rooted biases⁸ is reaching out to young people all the time, not just when a crime has occurred.

1 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

8 biases   

偏见( bias的名词复数 )； 偏爱； 特殊能力； 斜纹

参考例句：

• Stereotypes represent designer or researcher biases and assumptions, rather than factual data. 它代表设计师或者研究者的偏见和假设，而不是实际的数据。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• The net effect of biases on international comparisons is easily summarized. 偏差对国际比较的基本影响容易概括。