Community policing
Keeping the
deteriorating law and order in perspective, few can dispute the urgency of making the community policing effective
The Community Policing Day was observed yesterday for the first time in Bangladesh. Community policing is a strategy for bringing police and citizens together to prevent crime and help solve social problems. It seeks to help give police a greater sense of citizens needs and foster trust between community and policing services. Widely adopted globally the philosophy has been in place in Bangladesh since 2005 with the launching of the Police Reform Project.
Traditional policing practices can have a tendency to be reactive in nature, resolving the immediate incident and responding with a philosophy of public control. On the other hand, community policing takes a proactive approach to preventing crime through creating a partnership and open communication channels between local administrators and grass-root communities.
The idea of community policing has received a good response in different countries such as Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Sweden, and India. The UN has also recognised the need for highlighting the importance of community policing. Women have also been active agents in ensuring community policing in the world. Women here must also be made part of the community policing network.
One of the major aims behind initiating community policing is to build a friendly relationship between police as a service provider and community as a client. It also calls for an active role from the community in identification of criminal elements. Unfortunately the police in Bangladesh have rarely enjoyed a good reputation among the population, which is mainly attributed to their attitude and approach. Hopefully, the traditional role of police will change, and people will witness improvements in citizen-police relationship.
Unfortunately in the last 12 years or so community policing has not developed here up to expectations. A force of sorts called community police is now in operation in Dhaka, Chittagong and a few other districts. Some young men are occasionally seen helping the overburdened traffic police in the discharge of their duties in the capital. Apart from this, the community policing as a service is conspicuous in Dhaka by its absence. Keeping the deteriorating law and order in perspective, few can dispute the urgency of making the community policing effective.
The police department holds great significance in ensuring safety of the people. These days the police department is undergoing changes worldwide. The concept of community policing can be a good step in the policing system. It offers a positive change in society with its active participation.
