What is Community Policing

Community Policing is understood as Policing with the help of Community.
     Community Policing is a collaborative effort between Police and Community to identify problems of crime, disorder and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these problems. This concept  brings the police and community into a closer working relationship and calls for greater responsibility on citizens.

We all are aware that Policing includes the following:

• Maintenance of order and peace,

• Security, safety of the people and property.

• Ensure effective enforcement of law.

• Detection of crimes.

• Orderly flow of traffic in urban areas and  in highways and lot more.
  

Thus discussing the objective of Police in relevance to community reveals to concept of community policing which ideally is:

• Policing, as far as possible and practicable, by the community itself which means that any or all the functions mentioned above may be performed by the community to the extent they can and the remaining functions to be performed by the police with the assistance and involvement of the community to the maximum extent possible.

• The concept  of Community Policing started from the village Kotwal. Where a person from the community performs the functions of the police in the village. Gradually and unfortunately the concept of Village Kotwal had been undergoing changes where its community character seems to be dwindling.  Home-guards were another form of community policing. Even this has now become more a part of police force than of the community.

• Civil defense / emergency relief plan developed primarily on involvements and participation of the people in performing the safety, security, relief, and crisis management functions of the police during emergency. But now the idea needs a broader vision, more and regular involvement of Citizens and Police itself.

Few examples of Community Policing are : 

• Informal arrangements of night watchman, patrolling an area and obtaining remuneration from the house-holds of the area, is another form of community policing at the initiative of the watch-man but with the willing acceptance of the neighborhood. 

• Security arrangements in housing complexes and housing societies, security arrangements in factories and large establishments are another form of community policing.

• Institutions like Peace committees activated during period when there is serious apprehension / threat of break down of law and order.

• Civil defense plans / emergency relief plans during riots or wide spread break-down of law and order.

• The concepts of rural policing by community (Kotwal), 

• Trained people in the community to perform the functions of the police when required (home-guards) 

• Identified Sector Wardens, Chief wardens etc (under civil defense / emergency relief plan), 

• Special police officers, Honorary Magistrates and involvement of people in trail of offences

Few Schemes for Community Policing are : 

• Neighborhood watch scheme.

• Senior citizens’ scheme.

• Self defense camp for girls.

• Special police offers for every neighborhood in the in the urban areas.

• Crime stopper scheme aimed to encourage members of the public to play a part in detecting crime by giving information.

• Management by one or close involvement of police in.

  • De-addiction centers for drug addicts and alcoholics.

  • Juvenile aid camps.

  • Orphanage.

  • Shelter homes for run away children.

  • Senior citizen's home.

Thus, citizens can form groups within the society or the area they live or work.  Such social group can enroll themselves with the Police and  work hand in hand with Police to solve problems, minimize disorders in the society and thus achieve the very objective of Community Policing.