Summary
"A substantial body of community policing research speaks to the issue of police entering into partnerships with the public in order to address the problem of crime. However, much of the literature to date has been written from the police perspective and focuses on police priorities and needs. There is little research addressing the role the community could or should play, and even less that is conducted from a community perspective. This thesis explores the concepts of community, inner city community and community policing. The left realist perspective is also examined, particularly the perspective's critique of community policing. Issues of police accountability, control, and cooperation with the communities they serve are explored. The thesis focuses upon the perspectives of social service providers delivering services to the residents of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. These service providers' perspectives, gleaned during interviews, are analysed for their conceptions of community, inner city community, and community policing in the Downtown Eastside. The research participants spoke about people, geography, common ties and social interactions. They saw the Downtown Eastside community as strong, tolerant and unique but viewed it as disadvantaged due to the issues of poverty, drugs, and mental illness."--Abstract.