Revised Community Policing in the Global South: An Experimental Analysis
Inquiries: Community-Based Law Enforcement Approaches in Developing Regions
The notion of community policing gained prominence in the U.S. during the 1990s, with striking reductions in crime in cities like Chicago and Boston. Police departments implemented programs to foster local connections, aiming for a more secure community. But does this approach work equally well in other parts of the world? A multi-country study led by Fotini Christia of MIT's Department of Political Science sought to answer this question.
The researchers designed six experiments in various Global South countries, including Uganda, Liberia, Colombia, Brazil, the Philippines, and Pakistan, in collaboration with local governments. The project, detailed in the new book "Crime, Insecurity, and Community Policing: Experiments on Building Trust," published by Cambridge University Press, aimed to understand the global impact of community policing initiatives.
Question 1: What is community policing and where did the study take place?
Community policing is about connecting police with the communities they serve in direct ways. The 1990s Chicago and Boston experiences are often pointed to as models, with significant reductions in crime rates attributed to community policing. However, we wondered if this model works in resource-limited contexts with different institutional structures.
Question 2: What were the study's findings?
Contrary to expectations, community policing interventions did not increase trust or cooperation between citizens and police in the six regions of the Global South where the research was conducted. The interventions showed no visible impact on crime rates, as measured in administrative data or victimization surveys.
The null results were not due to police noncompliance, crime displacement, or site-specific heterogeneity. Sometimes, publishing null results is discouraged, but since the findings were valid and required structural reforms for success, the outcomes were acknowledged as compelling.
Question 3: Why didn't community policing work in these countries?
Our investigation revealed three main challenges. First, resource limitations can hinder the implementation and continuity of community policing initiatives. Second, misaligned incentives within the police force might undermine the effectiveness of community policing. Third, the police might not be perceived as independent entities acting in the best interests of the communities.
The results initially faced resistance, as the notion that connecting police and communities can have substantial positive effects is appealing. However, participants from the Global South, with their awareness of resource constraints and the potential issues with autonomy and compliance, found the findings less surprising.
Additional Insights:
- Success Factors: Effective community policing initiatives often rely on community engagement, social programs addressing root causes of crime, transparency, and accountability within law enforcement.
- Challenges: Limited resources, corruption, cultural and social barriers, and structural violence pose obstacles to implementing successful community policing strategies in the Global South.
- Solution Approaches: International collaboration, capacity-building programs for law enforcement, and inclusive policies promoting diversity can help overcome the challenges faced in community policing efforts in the Global South.
- In the study conducted by Fotini Christia and collaborators, community policing was implemented in various countries of the Global South, such as Uganda, Liberia, Colombia, Brazil, the Philippines, and Pakistan.
- Researchers found that community policing interventions did not result in increased trust or cooperation between citizens and police in the six regions where the study was conducted.
- The researchers discovered that resource limitations, misaligned incentives within the police force, and the police being perceived as non-independent entities were the main challenges that prevented community policing from working effectively in these countries.
- Effective community policing often relies on community engagement, social programs addressing the roots of crime, transparency, and accountability within law enforcement.
- Limited resources, corruption, cultural and social barriers, and structural violence are some of the challenges that need to be addressed to successfully implement community policing strategies in the Global South.
- International collaboration, capacity-building programs for law enforcement, and inclusive policies promoting diversity can help overcome challenges in community policing efforts in the Global South.
- The findings of the study highlight the need for structural reforms to create an environment where community policing initiatives can thrive, as publishing null results is often discouraged, but the conclusions were deemed compelling due to their validity.
