Empowering Punjab Police for Community Policing: Challenges and Opportunities in Capacity Building

Abstract

Community policing has developed as a modern strategy for public safety by tackling the root causes of crime and cultivating trust between police and the public. This study pursues to evaluate capacity-building of police officers in executing community policing in Punjab, while noting the problems encountered. Community policing is a multifaceted approach involving community collaborations, organizational transformation, and problem-solving to enhance trust, address community issues, and promote proactive strategies. Data were acquired using a quantitative survey approach from a sample of 399 police officers of Punjab Police selected according to Yamane’s (1967) formula. A standardized questionnaire was employed to collect responses, accompanied by pretesting. Data analysis was performed utilizing SPSS, employing frequency, percentage and chi-square tests to assess the relationship between capacity building and the efficacy of community policing. The findings reveal that majority (56.9%) identify various actors as obstacles to policy planning, while 71.1% view community policing programs positively, noting their mainstreaming. Funding inadequacies are recognized as a significant barrier (43.1% strongly agree), and issues of loyalty and commitment are highlighted, with 35.4% agreeing that instability impacts programs. Distrust in public relations and institutional resistance is acknowledged, with 53.7% agreeing on their role in mismanagement. Positive contributions from neighborhood watch initiatives (60.3% agreement) and police training (65.7% agreement) to community development are noted. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of capacity-building and police officer evaluation in achieving community policing goals, with 71.1% agreeing that evaluations focus on capacity-building exercises. The chi-square test result of 0.006 signifies a significant relationship between capacity building and the effectiveness of community policing. This study suggests that resolving challenges related to public trust, resource allocation, and officer training is crucial for successfully deploying community policing in Punjab.