Community Policing And Grassroots Security Initiatives For Sustainable Development

Abstract

The primary duties of the Nigeria police force are detection and prevention of crime, apprehension of offenders, preservation of law and order and protection of lives and property. It appears that this formal security agency is lacking in discharging of these duties effectively and efficiently. Consequently, community policing and grassroots security initiatives have emerged in response to the seemingly failure and limitations of the Nigeria police force and other law enforcement agencies to provide adequate security for citizens and maintenance of order in communities. This is a theoretical paper which utilized secondary sources such as journals, international organization reports, and news articles, books, and others to examine the roles of community policing and grassroots security initiatives in providing security and sustainable development in different communities in Nigeria. The broken window and structural-functionalist theories provided theoretical framework for this paper. It was shown in this paper that community policing and grassroots security initiatives are pertinent for enhancing public safety, protecting human rights, and fostering sustainable community development. The paper concluded that Police-Public partnership and collaborations will be of immense help in addressing the challenges faced by formal security agencies in carrying out their basic functions. The paper recommends that community policing and grassroots security initiatives should be encouraged, adequately funded, and provided with sophisticated equipment, logistics and modern technology to enhance their effectiveness in fighting crimes, providing security and contributions towards sustainable development.