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Community-based policing

In our experience it is often those who are most affected by insecurity that have little opportunity to engage constructively with the police. This can result in feelings of mistrust between the police and the communities they serve which can be exacerbated in fragile, under-developed or conflict-affected countries.

To address this problem, Saferworld and local partners have been working with governments, police services and communities to implement community-based policing in a variety of contexts, most recently in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Community-based policing is an innovative and democratic style of policing. It seeks to transform the police so they are a more responsive and transparent provider of safety and security to communities.

Community-based policing can transform lives and communities by reducing crime, the fear of crime and by increasing access to justice. In contexts where a lack of security or poor and unequal access to justice is a cause of tension, such efforts can also serve to reduce and prevent violent conflict.