Introduction

Every citizen is a policeman without uniform and every policeman is a citizen in uniform.
This is the main philosophy of Community Policing. It is a philosophy of bringing out
policeman out of citizen and citizen out of policeman. It is going closer to the people for
involving them in ensuring their own security. Thus, community policing can be defined
as a proactive policing approach where police and people work together to ensure
safety and security of the citizens.
In 1970s and 1980s, police services in England, Japan, Germany, Canada, and
Singapore were experimenting alternatives to professional bureaucratic model of
policing that was widening the gap between civilians and police officials. At that time,
John Angell (1971) coined the term democratic policing to describe community
policing. He called for a change where citizens have a voice in deciding how police
services should be carried out in the community. After all, it is the citizens who pay taxes
that support policing services and they should have a voice in deciding how police
services should be carried out in the community[1]. Community policing, indeed is a
reorientation of policing philosophy and strategy away from the view that police alone
can reduce crime, disorder and fear. Police reliance on random preventive patrolling,
post incident investigations to identify and arrest offenders, and other reactive criminal
justice system tactics do not go far in controlling crime and disorder. Community policing
implies a basic change in the conception of the role of the police in society. It refers to
arrangements of policing that accord a significant role to the community in defining and
guiding policing in their locality[2].
Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), while recommending a
model for community policing during 2003, referred to it as normal policing of a society
in consultation, cooperation and partnership with the community at large. According to
the Bureau, the aim of Community Policing is to prevent and detect crime, maintain
order and ensure safety and security of the community in partnership with the people
and to provide the community efficient, transparent and responsive law-enforcement
machinery which perpetuates the rule of law.
The basic features of Community Policing are as follows:
1. Decentralization of decision making as community policing empowers field level
officer to identify the problem with the help of local citizens, devise and execute a

strategy to solve the same. He thus takes on the spot decision without waiting for
instruction from the top. Tackling of issues at local level leads to speed and
efficiency. Field officers welcome the decentralized system that empowers them
and the local residents.
2. Citizens participation is the most valuable content in community policing. Infact they decide the issues they want to take on, priorities them and the police
officer is either a catalyst or facilitator. Community policing is a broad concept and
gives space to the weaker sections of the society including women, youth, and
senior citizens. Community policing projects that are not inclusive in their
approach remain limited in their output.
3. Problem solving is at the heart of this approach. Police and citizens meet not for
simple interaction but with the specific purpose to delineate the problematic
issues and resolve the same.
4. Consultation is the process adopted for community policing; a police officer is
not expected to decide the issues unilaterally, nor is it expected to be so on the
part of citizens. The earlier semi military models of law enforcement had no place
for consultation with citizens that is the basic ingredient of modern day policing.
5. Transparency is an essential characteristic for the success of any community
policing project or citizens tend to lose faith it. Identification of local threats and
the process to tackle them are to be debated and discussed in open forums
before embarking on a particular strategy. Consultative process by definition is
expected to be transparent.
There are no specific provisions about Community Policing under the Criminal
Procedure Code (Cr.P.C). But its essence can be observed under this Code. Section
37 imposes a three-fold duty on members of the public, who are required to assist a
Magistrate or police officer, (1) in the taking or preventing the escape of an offender; or
(2) in the prevention or suppression of a breach of the peace; or (3) in the prevention of
injury to railway, canal, telegraph or public property. Penalty for omission to do so is
provided under sec. 187, Indian Penal Code. Further, sec. 38 of Cr.P.C protects the
person who renders aid in the execution of the warrant. The aid must be rendered to a
person to whom warrant for arrest has been directed for execution and such person
must be near at hand and acting in the execution of that warrant. Also, sec.39, imposes
a duty on every person to give information of certain offences specified in cls. (i) to (xiI)

of sub-s.(1). The duty ceases when the information has reached the police. However,
penalty for breach is provided under in sec. 176 and 202 of I.P.C. Lastly, sec.40 of
Cr.P.C, castes a duty on village officers and personal residents in villages to
immediately give information about certain offences and also take about certain state of
things to the nearest Magistrate or Police officer[3].
In India, law enforcement is a state subject, therefore, there has not been any one
initiative from the top i.e. the Central Government level but many at the local police
station, district and state level ones. Several state polices such as Karnataka, Punjab,
Kolkata, Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh have defined community policing on their
websites and issued general guidelines for the public. Some of the community policing
initiatives and experiments conducted by the states are listed below:
1. Community Policing Initiative for Mumbaites
One of the community policing initiatives is the Public Concern for Governance Trust
(PCGT). This is an experiment which mobilizes public opinion and increases public
participation and activism towards creating more transparent and efficient governance.
The proposed activities of the project involves, initiating values and ethics among Police
Force and Civil Society; to identify public concerns and their prioritization through
sample surveys, research, focused group discussions with individuals and other groups
including NGOs; to identify the specific issues/problems causing grievance to civil
society and law enforcement agencies through experiences of public and police officials;
initiating dialogue between the Police and Public and thereby develop and suggest
remedial measures for the identified concerns; conducting attitudinal change lectures,
workshops and seminars among the Police and Civil Society and taking police to
educational institutions to instruct students about civic values and lastly by increased
interaction of the Police personnel with other professional groups on specific issues of
ethics in governance.
2. Community Policing: Friends Of Police, Tamil Nadu
The Friends Of Police (FOP) is a holistic and pro-active concept that lends a
psychological approach to policing. It is a true example of police public partnership
where citizens have been empowered along with the police. FOP provides opportunities
for ordinary citizens to effectively contribute to the prevention and detection of crime.
Any member of the public, male or female who is not involved in civil or criminal case
can become a member of FOP. FOP members can also prevent any abuse of police

power because of easy accessibility to the station house officer and other senior
personnel. Role of FOP:

Beats and night Patrols

Assistance in traffic

Crime prevention

Information collection

Assistance in Law and Order Maintenance

Involvement in Prohibition Work

3. Samarth Yojna Community Policing Experiment, Coimbatore City

The city has witnessed two communal riots, violence, and inhuman brutality. There has
also been an increasing level of criminal activities etc. It was because of this appalling
situation that, Mr.K.Radhakrishnan, IPS, decided to implement a community policing
experiment to bring the situation under control. The main objectives of this experiment
were to perceive and resolve the communal problem and also to win the confidence and
trust of the people.
4. Trichy Community Policing
Before community policing was introduced in Trichy, the crime rate was very high. To
challenge forces of fundamentalism and lawlessness, and instil a sense of confidence
amongst the people, following community policing strategies were introduced:

Beat Officers System

Complaint/Suggestion Box System

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Help line for Women in Distress

Slum Adoption Programme

5. PRAHARI: The Community Policing Initiative In Assam:

The community policing initiative aimed at changing the attitude of the average
policeman at the police stations towards the public, to make them people friendly and to
improve their living and working conditions. The goal of PRAHARI was to tackle social
problems and bring the police and community closer.
6. Community policing experiment in Punjab:
Community Policing Resource Centres (CPRCs) have been set up in Punjab, which
are autonomous registered societies jointly managed by representatives of the
community and police officials. These units include one for victims of crime, one for nonresident Indians, and a unit set up specifically to serve women. As a result of this
experiment, the reporting of domestic violence has tripled.
These initiatives and experiments conducted by various state polices were quite
effective and successful. However, there are some of the barriers to community
policing that need to be addressed in any community policing initiative.

The non-registration of complaint resulting in poor police image.

Poor police behaviour leading to poor police image.

The belief within and outside organisation that order in the society is maintained
due to police fear. This fear is a major stumbling block in bringing people closer
to the police. This closeness is a prerequisite for any community policing
initiative.

The organisational culture of secrecy and confidentiality is another barrier. Such

a culture obviously cant see any role for the people. It is true that police cant
disclose all the information to the people. But it is equally true that all the
information is not confidential.

The organisational culture of neglecting people[4].

Conclusion
Independence fundamentally changes the nature of the state from a bureaucratic
state to a democratic state; from a police state to a welfare state, leading to

corresponding changes in the role of the police into peoples police as against a rulerappointed police. These changes, however do not find expression in the institutional
framework, in that the working of the police is governed by the Police Act. This was
correctly pointed out by the Khosla Commission on Police Reforms.[5] The policepublic rapport concerns the development of the country ensuring it as a welfare and
democratic state. Therefore, community policing has become an inevitable need of the
hour. Many community policing initiatives taken by various states have been successful
in its attempt. The Friends Of Police initiative has been effective over the last five years
in Tamil Nadu whereas the Trichy initiatives were recognized by International
Association Of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Washington and conferred International
Community Policing Awards 2001, at Toronto. It was also selected for international
innovations Awards Programme of CAPAM during a conference at Glasgow, Scotland,
September 2002.
Justice Verma Committee, which submitted its report on January 23, 2013,
recommended that Community policing should be developed by providing training to
volunteers. It should have a specific provision under Cr.P.C, issuing functions and
guidelines for the State Polices and creating awareness, trust amongst the public. Such
coordination and understanding between the police and public will help curb crime in the
community to a great extent.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] John E. Angell, Toward an Alternative to the Classic Police Organisational
Arrangement: A Demographic model, Criminology, 8 (1971) pp. 185-206 in Quint
Thurman, Jihong Zhao and Andrew L. Giacomazzi, Community Policing in a Community
Era: An Introduction and Exploration, Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles,
California, 2001, p.7
[2] Academy Journal 2007, Vol. 59 no 1, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police
Academy.
[3] Ratanlal & Dhirajlal, The Code Of Criminal Prodecure, 20 th Edition, Pg. 59.
[4] Supra note 2.
[5] Policing India in the New Millennium, edited by P. J. Alexander, Pg. 950