Submitted:
20 February 2024
Posted:
22 February 2024
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Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the impact of community policing on maintaining community safety and security by measuring the rate of crime prevention. Specifically, it sought to find out how the city administration of Addis Ababa demonstrated and promoted understanding of the community policing effort, information sharing, and community members' opinions regarding community policing in relation to local security procedures. Law enforcement initiatives to improve quality of life and reduce crime are also included. In order to be successful, community policing requires concrete actions and projects, and given the pervasive mistrust in today's public, both police departments and individual officers must take the lead. The findings demonstrated the influence of community policing, information sharing, and their results on local security practices as well as community policing among community members. According to one suggestion, the police should make sure that they interact positively with the community and that people are aware of their involvement in community policing. This way, people will be happy to provide the police with information that could help prevent crime. The public should be encouraged to maintain good connections with the police, as they can enhance community policing. Because it were obvious that doing so will improve society's peace and security, this study showed the need for additional efforts to further cement relationships of collaboration between the police and the community.
Keywords:
Community development
; Community policing
; Community member
Introduction
A community is any collection of individuals, regardless of their age, economic status, sex, education level, religion, or ethnicity, who are bound together by common life experiences, values, and customs. Effective member engagement is essential for sustainable community growth when resources become scarce (Boating 2021). To improve people’s quality of life and well-being, community development is frequently linked to rural sociology, education, and rural development. Community development strategies entail the mobilization of local citizens, businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders. The quality of life can also be improved by actively engaging in community development initiatives (Bond, 2004).
The six essential components of community growth are diversity, commitment, reciprocal influence, language, symbols, values, norms, and emotional ties. The two ideas that compose this method are facilitating community, which is society coming together to enhance quality and well-being with technical support and direction from change agents, and directing community, which is government agencies directing a holistic community. The goals of both strategies are to promote a feeling of community and shared ideals (Moura, J. B., et al., 2022).
Statement of the Problem
Community development approach: Community development involves various approaches, such as technical assistance, self-help, and partnerships. Implementation depends on resources, development objectives, community involvement, and power sharing between stakeholders. This success depends on several factors (Obama, 2009).
Technical assistance approach: This is a community development approach that focuses on directing communities to improve their living conditions. It is sponsored by government agencies or local authorities and focuses on activities that do not involve communities themselves. Development agents play a crucial role in developing communities based on their needs and goals. The approach has the potential to assist communities in basic development, produce optimal outputs, organize communities according to needs and goals, identify related problems for corrective action, and ensure that development plans align with community requirements. However, this approach has weaknesses, such as limited community participation, low determining power, and limited opportunities for self-confidence development (Morabito, 2010).
The self-help approach, also known as facilitating community, aims to prepare communities for development and to promote local change. This involves discussing, deciding, and implementing development matters within the community. The strength of this approach lies in the community’s knowledge of problems and needs, ability to determine their lives, power of determination, and opportunity for community participation (Bond, 2004).
Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to this strategy, including high failure rates in the event that the community is not cohesive and difficulty identifying change agents’ influence. In general, self-help and self-help methods have advantages and disadvantages (Zanker, 2017). The partnership approach in community development involves alliance partners and joint ventures between parties such as the government, developers, and the community. Development agencies act as mediators and facilitators, ensuring smooth implementation and benefits for both parties. The ideal partner in this approach is based on mutual need, support, collaboration, and cost-effectiveness. This approach offers advantages such as optimal resource use, the integration of internal information with external expertise, and accommodating the absence of a party. However, these methods also have disadvantages, such as subjective views and trust issues, which can lead to disintegration and ultimately hinder development goals.
Community Policing and Community Development
Community policing aims to establish cooperation between the police and communities to create group problem-solving opportunities, address crime perceptions, establish a structured partnership, and promote coownership rights. Community development encompasses various aspects of quality of life, including social, economic, political, educational, safety, and security. The ultimate goal is to bring harmony to human beings, with the peace of individuals, families, communities, and the government being the main agenda for political stability (Cicone, 2023).
Figure 4.1.
Meeting.
At the central level, under the chairmanship of the commissioner or the deputy commissioner of disaster prevention, the city’s independent advisory group and the city’s independent advisory group are chaired by the heads or directors of the 10 police departments, international police and operations. It is reviewed once a month in the presence of the director.
One way to conceptualize community development is as a process or objective that aims to reduce and prevent crime. Improving society’s culture, mindset, attitudes, awareness, knowledge, and commitment to the community is crucial for successful community policing (Morabito, 2010, Boateng, K., & Bawole, J. N. 2021). To ensure public order and safety, it is crucial that police and the community have an engaged and dynamic relationship. This will foster a sense of cooperation among all parties involved.
(Figure 4.2.
Five-year Addis Ababa police commission crime data, 2023).
Habermas’ theory of communicative action suggests that community participation in democratic activities often leads to active participation in state care. This occurs when public opinion and criticism are taken seriously, identifying problems and attempting solutions to policy change. The communicative action formed is shaped at the seam of the system and the “life-world,” where speakers and hearers meet and can criticize and agree on solutions. This theory is practical and effective at driving community expectations, helping communities combine technical, corporate, local, and practical knowledge to develop new emancipatory knowledge. In the context of community policing, this theory is guided by the intersection of technical and corporate knowledge with local and practical knowledge, leading to new ideas and actions (Stevens, 2001). Although there is a plan to reduce crime every year, the data show that the crime rate is increasing by 15%. Crimes of theft: Crime can take many forms, including but not limited to homicide, car theft, robbery, attempted murder, domestic burglary and theft, pickpocketing, organized crime, human and sex trafficking, sex crimes, and terrorism. Different regions of the Ethiopian region are subject to different types of crime. Ethiopia had the highest crime rate at this time in Africa. The city administration received an index score of 15.5. The crime index is measured based on survey responses on issues related to crime, safety levels, specific crimes, property and violent crimes (Silva, 2011).
Figure 4.3.
Five years of criminal information.
The number of serious crimes registered for crime prevention from 2018 to 2022 was 15% each year according to the Addis Ababa city administration police commission crime data.
Materials and Methods
This study is exploratory; hence, the methodology employed to obtain the data were was based on a search of the literature and various documents that are available in natural settings. This approach would help in the discovery of knowledge in an open and unbiased description of various experiences in natural settings. In terms of design and methodology, this study aimed to assess how well the community policing effectiveness of Addis Ababa city is being implemented. To accomplish these goals, a descriptive research design is recommended. This study design aims to outline the features of community policing and present the practice of community policing as it already exists. The objectives are addressed through the use of a mixed-methods research strategy. Both qualitative and quantitative data are utilized. The degree of community policing applied in Addis Ababa city is determined through quantitative approaches. However, qualitative approaches aid in identifying obstacles to successful community policing deployment in cities.
For the investigation, both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were obtained via questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire, which concentrated on the use of community policing, was given to the front police. Interviews with intermediate and senior community policing officials were also conducted. They focused on the fences that support community policing’s success as well as its overall implementation. As secondary proof, we also examined unpublished documents from respectable, verified organizations such as the AAPC. The data are utilized to encourage the results of the survey.
Results and Discussion
The study revealed that crime prevention in the Addis Ababa city administration is a priority, as per the Police Act of 2007. This can be achieved through reactive or proactive actions. The city’s growth and human civilization have led to an increase in crime cases, with a rise from 21,176 in 2018 to 98,622 in 2022. The factors contributing to crime include environmental factors, population growth, education polarity, ICT advancements, innovation, and globalization. Despite the police
The Ethiopian Police Force has adopted a community policing approach to combat crime and address community concerns. The Five-Year Strategic Plan, developed in 2007, focuses on addressing crime and community concerns. Community policing involves police and the community working together to identify effective actions and address social issues. This holistic approach involves local authorities, government agencies, NGOs, media, politicians, and the private sector. During the five-year period (2018-2022), the police conducted various activities, including discussions, patrols, neighborhood surveys, awareness campaigns, road shows, classes, workshops, and social media postings, all of which highlighted the good ties that exist between the police and the community (Raderstrong, 2016). After five years of community policing implementation by the Addis Ababa municipal government, the majority of communities have come around to the idea that excellent police cooperation and community involvement may reduce crime. Evidence from communities that have benefited from community policing initiatives, such as Selangor, has demonstrated that these programs have a positive impact on lowering the crime rate and raising citizens’ awareness of crime prevention initiatives, as well as their willingness to report crimes and protect property before they happen. In addition, it improved the rapport between the police and the community, which helped to speed up the development process through a number of conversations, complaints, and community-building events.
Conclusion
The increase in crimes and crime-related reports since 2022 has caused society and social institutions to lose faith in the police force’s legitimacy in the Addis Ababa municipal administration. The public no longer feels comfortable enough to engage in outdoor activities or sightseeing because of this, together with the unsteady political environment. Their worries about protecting their belongings and personal safety from thieves increased by 15%. This problem indirectly impacts landscape quality of life and results in poor levels of human well-being. To secure the smooth operation of this nation, the Addis Ababa city administration government has thus worked extremely hard to identify the core cause of the issue devise and implement measures through its relevant agencies, NGOs, and stakeholders in crime and security issues.
One of these efforts is the police’s wise decision to include community involvement in cooperative problem-solving efforts with public safety. The community is now actively involved in helping to lower crime in its neighborhood as a result of the introduction of community policing. The police and the citizens’ committees arranged a number of community activities to impart knowledge, comprehension, and skills connected to handling case-related offenses. Community policing has improved communities’ capacity to deter crime, boost their sense of self-worth, and improve society at large.
Limitations and Directions for Future Research
This study provides an in-depth understanding of how community policing structures maintain community safety and security in the Addis Ababa city administration. Due to its security sensitivity in the context of country instability, the study does not attempt to generalize its conclusions. In other organizations with similar mandates, this may limit the application and extent of the research’s conclusions. Therefore, future studies should concentrate on broadening the focus to include the impact of government, the structure of community policing and the links among various political issues with comparable missions.
Authors Contribution
My supervisors Dr.R.Karunakaran(Asso. Prof), Dr.Bantyergu Engida (Asst. Prof), also the cooperative department, NORAD project at Hawassa University and other my friends responsible only for their invaluable follow-up support, which made this research endeavor possible. Their funding assistance has been instrumental in carrying out the study on the Instructor and Friends, Addis Ababa police commission; from sub city up to family police members they are profoundly grateful for their recognition of the research’s significance and their unwavering commitment to fostering educational excellence. Their support has not only enriched my academic journey but has also contributed to the broader field of education, making a positive impact on the lives of friends and the all community.
Publication Funding Request
In our country Ethiopia third world country has a very high moral support for me. But if you publish the writing, it would be nice to give the author a limited amount of freebies. On my part, I have published a number of books, but I have not been able to get any due to lack of foreign funds. In addition to this, book sales do not provide payment to authors, so it hurts authors to a great extent, therefore, the necessary support and payment for book sales; We have an idea that if there is an incentive.
Hawassa University Post graduate program:
Hawassa University Post graduate program:Ethical Approval
Consent for Publication
Acknowledgments
Derese Simegnew Alehegn (PhD. Scholar) ID No: PhDCoDeR/0006/14 would like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisors Dr.R. Karunakaran (Asso. Prof), and Dr. Bantyergu Engida (Asst. Prof.), are also part of the cooperative department of the NORAD project at Hawassa University, and other my friends are responsible only for their invaluable follow-up support, which made this research endeavor possible. Their funding assistance has been instrumental in carrying out the study on the Instructor and Friends, Addis Ababa police commission; from subcity to family police members, they are profoundly grateful for their recognition of the research’s significance and their unwavering commitment to fostering educational excellence. Their support has not only enriched my academic journey but also contributed to the broader field of education, making a positive impact on the lives of friends and the whole community.
Declaration
I am, Derese Simegnew Alehegn, declare that this dissertation is my own work both in conception and execution, which I hereby submit for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the community development at Hawassa University, Derese Simegnew Alehegn (PhD.Scholar) ID No: PhDCoDeR/0006/14 A Ph.D. Dissertation Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, College of Business & Economics, Department of Cooperatives in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Community Development.
Advisor Committees
Appendix I
| Descriptive Statistics | |||
| N | Mean | Std. Deviation | |
| CP structure includes Conflict Resolving Committee | 328 | 2.6159 | 1.49576 |
| CP structure includes the Advisory Council | 328 | 2.8232 | 1.37000 |
| CP structure includes the Community Police Officer | 328 | 2.9360 | 1.41384 |
| CP Structure includes community elders | 328 | 2.5793 | 1.42921 |
| CP structure includes police station | 328 | 2.4878 | 1.33404 |
| CP structure includes militia and community patrols. | 328 | 2.9756 | 1.39878 |
| Valid N (list wise) | 328 | ||
| Descriptive Statistics | ||||||
| Statistic | Bootstrap | |||||
| Bias | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval | ||||
| Lower | Upper | |||||
| sub city | N | 328 | 0 | 0 | 328 | 328 |
| Minimum | 1.00 | |||||
| Maximum | 3.00 | |||||
| Mean | 2.0671 | .0017 | .0452 | 1.9787 | 2.1555 | |
| Std. Deviation | .81373 | -.00136 | .01568 | .78398 | .84325 | |
| Valid N (list wise) | N | 328 | 0 | 0 | 328 | 328 |
| a. Unless otherwise noted, bootstrap results are based on 1000 bootstrap samples | ||||||
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