A Critical Examination of Community Participation Process: Context of Community Policing Practice In Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Bangladesh

Abstract

Community participation is one the fundamental tenets of community policing practice. In relation to community policing, community participation implies to a process in which residents act, voice their opinions, and take responsibility for crime prevention. However, one of the key issues in policing literature is how this process is constructed and maintained. Hence, understanding the process of community participation is critical to the implementation of contemporary community policing. Keeping this in view, a case study was conducted in 2018 to explore and examine the process of community participation in the context of community policing practice in the Uttara Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Bangladesh. Forty-Five participants from police, community and community-police forums were interviewed to have their knowledge and experiences on this critical issue. The study found that the community participation process began with the formation of Community- Police Forums (CPFs) through to the implementation of crime prevention programmes. Various forms of police-community meetings were found to facilitate community to contribute to crime prevention. Participation in Uttara community policing was, however, found more stereotyped in practice and took place in varying levels. The process of community participation was police-driven, and community role was, in most cases, defined by the police. Social Science Review, Vol. 38(2), December 2021 Page 1-21