Community Policing Information Sharing in Security Enhancement in Gasabo District, Rwanda

Abstract

In Rwanda, in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, the security situations were critical and the government adopted mechanisms such as community policing as a strategy for security enhancement. However, the country still struggles with insecurity challenges despite the introduction of community policing. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of community policing information sharing on security enhancement in Gasabo District, Rwanda. The study adopted a mixed methodology approach and a concurrent triangulation design. The study targeted approximately 139,358 household heads of Gasabo District, 73 Community Policing Committee (CPC) chairpersons, 15 Community Liaison Officers, and 260 Police Officers. The study sampled 576 household heads for quantitative data whereas the CPC chairpersons, Community Liaison Officers, Police Officers, and Opinion leaders were used for qualitative data. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the participants. Questionnaires, interview guides, and discussion guides were used to collect data. The findings indicated that information sharing had a positive and significant influence on security enhancement. The study concludes that information sharing contributes significantly to security enhancement in Gasabo District, Rwanda. The study recommended the need for RNP to strengthen information sharing for security enhancement. In particular, the institution should focus on enhancing information sharing aspects including information sharing through social media, music, word of mouth, acting, and training.