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36 Policing: Int'l J. Police Strat. & Mgmt. 6 (2013)

handle is hein.journals/polic36 and id is 1 raw text is: The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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PIJPSM
36,1

6
Received 29 June 2011
Revised 8 November 2011
Accepted 16 December 2011
I
Policing: An International Journal of
Police Strategies & Management
Vol. 36 No. 1, 2013
pp. 6-26
C Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1363-951X
DOI 10.1108/13639511311302452

The distribution of
water-monitoring organizations
across states
Implications for community environmental
policing and social justice
Michael J. Lynch
Department of Criminology, University of South Florida,
Tampa, Florida, USA, and
Paul B. Stretesky
School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA
Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to draw upon concepts in community-oriented policing in
order to explore the distribution of citizen water-monitoring organizations and their role in community
environmental policing, in order to address the issue of environmental justice. The empirical portion of
the analysis examines the distribution of these organizations across states, and the relationship of this
distribution to social inequity.
Design/methodology/approach - This study design is cross-sectional in nature and examines the
distribution and density of 1,308 citizen water-monitoring organizations across states. Ordinary least
squares regression is used to examine the relationship between the density and social disadvantage
while controlling for environmental enforcement patterns, rates of non-compliance, water quality,
region of the country, water area, and coastal states.
Findings - Race and ethnicity are negatively correlated with the density of water-monitoring
organizations across states. Median household income is positively correlated with water-
monitoring organizations across states.
Practical implications - This paper suggests that community environmental policing is a response
to ecological disorganization. More specifically, in the case of citizen-led water-monitoring
organizations it is critical that states with relatively large proportions of low income, black and
Hispanic residents help provide resources to encourage the development of these community groups.
Originality/value - This paper is the first to draw upon the ideas found in the community-oriented
policing literature to examine water-monitoring organizations. While the literature suggests that
collaborative efforts between state law enforcement agencies and water-monitoring organizations may
help combat ecological disorganization, it is also the first study to suggest that environmental injustice
could be an unintended drawback of community environmental policing.
Keywords United States of America, Water supply, Community policing, Police strategies,
Water-monitoring organizations, Environmental justice, Environmental crime,
Environmental governance, Community oriented policing, Community environmental policing
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The practice and theory of community policing has attracted significant criminological
attention as a mechanism for reducing crime and enhancing community satisfaction
with police. The idea that citizens can act as important adjuncts in the enforcement of
laws and regulations has also influenced the growth of community participation in
environmental policing. As Gowrie (2004, p. 598) notes, however, community policing
pays little attention to environmental pollution. Moreover, while community-oriented

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