En

Abstract

Police departments in Turkey utilize community policing philosophy in an effort to create a social bond between police and the citizens they serve. Although Turkish National Police has a centralized organizational structure, the way community policing is implemented is not the same at every police department. Most police departments use project designs as means to create community policing programs. This study suggests implementing a community policing program by using social disorganization theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework. According to SDT, one of the major predictors of social control in a community is the level of control by the community over adolescent groups. It is argued that uncontrolled teenagers often turn into gang groups and display delinquent behaviors. Therefore, the community’s ability to supervise its teenagers is a way to stop the creation of gangs and delinquent behaviors. In explaining the linkage between social disorganization theory and different types of community policing implementations, Mardin Police Department’s project “Ideallerimizdeki yarinlar” is offered as a case study. This project enables young individuals to understand and value the importance of community involvement and hard work in creating a better future both for them and for their families.