A study of community policing and its administration in selected urban centres in Maharashtra

Abstract

Community policing is a collaborative effort between Police and Community to identify various issues of crime and disorder. It entails citizens and policemen working together for handling the identified issues and chronic problems. This concept brings the police and community into a closer working relationship for the mutual benefit of both and calls for greater responsibility on the part of police and citizens. Accountability of both is inbuilt in this working relationship. Community policing thus involves law enforcement agencies and local populace in effective implementation of criminal justice system. Though an immensely popular term, it has a different meaning for different police organizations and the persons handling the issue. Starved of resources and plagued with crime, disorder and violent activities of organised crime/terrorists, law enforcing agencies world over have come to understand that they alone can not cope with the menace. Involvement of community is the key to handle not only the traditional crime but also the modern crime like money laundering, trafficking of women and children, narcotics trade etc.