(SpringerBriefs in Criminology) Heath B. Grant - Police Integrity in the Developing World Building a Culture of Lawfulness-Springer International Publishing (2018)
Community Policing Strengths, Flaws, Implementation and the Importance of Local Context In 2008, the PRP introduced a national strategy for community policing. The PRP provides a framework for the community policing approach however, it was never officially approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs because its true application would require de-politicization of, and releasing control of field operations to, the police. That said, many officers still continue to reference the national strategy as a guide for community policing. In fact, senior leaders such as the current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Shahidul Hoque, who has been a strong supporter of community policing, have promoted the document as a benchmark for implementation among more junior ranks across the country. The national strategy for community policing provides a clear definition of what it is, and how it aligns with international best practices through an organizational philosophy involving citizen-police partnerships and problem-solving. Still, the interpretation of this definition at the field level varies widely, often lending itself to extensive citizen involvement in police operations. In part, this has been done to fill a need created by limited internal staff and resources, but is also based on a history of mobilization of popular support from communities to push social movements and political agendas. In essence, what it involves is a “deputization” of citizens who lead patrols, capture criminals and basically serve as a force multiplier in police operations. This reflects a high level misinterpretation of the meaning of community policing which ordinarily is not a force multiplier meant to augment alack of police resources. In some cases, this has empowered citizens to go so far as to dictate how police should run operations, rather than giving them with overall support by gathering information, providing testimony, or just generally following the law. In fact, there have been numerous reports of citizens who were even given firearms by police to support their efforts in street patrols. This overt involvement in and control of police operations by citizens is often done by community leaders with strong political or social agendas, and has resulted in the persecution of minority groups or members of the opposing political party, in the name of rooting out terrorism. In some cases, citizens involved in the strategy have themselves asked for bribes from other citizens for services.
