The Roles of Community Policing in Crime Prevention and Control: The Case of Mizan-Aman Town, Bench-Sheko Zone, South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region

Abstract

The study was conducted with the major objective of assessing the roles of community policing in crime prevention and control with a particular reference to Mizan-Aman town, Bench-Sheko Zone, South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region. The study attempted to do this on the basis of the structural and philosophical dimensions of community policing as an alternative policing strategy. To achieve its stated objective the study employed a mixed method research approach where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 383 randomly sampled residents of Mizan-Aman town. Furthermore, data were also collected through depth interviews held with five purposively selected respondents. Finding of the study indicated that community policing in Mizan-Aman town has largely been an ineffective policing strategy for preventing and controlling crime in the town. Despite its successes in its essential stages of implementation, the study found out that it has since been ineffectual. The law enforcement structure in the town was also found to be lacking the necessary philosophical and structural requirements necessary for the utilization of community policing for preventing crime in the town. The lack of trust between police and the community, the recurrent lack of trained manpower and budget constraints faced by the police, as well as the limited regular communication between the police and residents have been found to be major challenges that hindered the effectiveness of community policing in Mizan-Aman town.