lessons learnt, challenges & possible mitigating actions

in the implementation of Community Policing

.
CP AUSTIN IWAR
CP CRIME PREVENTION & COMMUNITY SAFETY
  Lessons Learnt:
 Lessons learnt will focus on four results based on extensive Impact
Evaluation study conducted at the end of Security Justice and Growth
Programme (SJGP) in 2010 using the Police Excellence Model.
 Impact Evaluation of community policing was conducted in 129 police
divisions across 18 states - CPs, DPOs, R/F were interviewed.

 Impact Evaluation is to assess the progress/ lessons learnt in

implementing the five key elements of Community Policing (Service
delivery; Partnership; Problem Solving; Empowerment; and
Accountability) against the rigorous criteria of the Policing Excellence
Model (PEM).

 The results are: Service-User Results; NPF Staff Results; Society Results,
and Key Performance Results
 Focus group meetings were held with diverse community members;
 This presentation will also discuss challenges & Possible Way Forward.
  Lessons Learnt:
 The NPF’s philosophy & strategy of Community Policing
adopts an integrated model that captures the essence of
Community Safety & Crime Prevention;

 It is a hybrid of different policing models, adapted to suit the

Nigerian context, i.e. Community-oriented Policing, Problem-
Oriented Policing, traditional Policing & Intelligence–led
Policing;

 This created a multi-faceted, but all encompassing, Nigerian-

specific model of Community Policing – supported by KUSAB
training model (i.e. training that covers Knowledge,
Understanding, Skills, Attitudes and Behaviour) as
represented below.
  Police Excellence Model (PEM)
 PEM - Key steps by which organisations use to harness & release
the talents of its personnel to produce results. They are the
“Enablers” that produce “Results”.
 Enablers are: leadership; Strategy & Policy; People (NPF Staff );
Processes; Resources; and Partnerships;
 Results are: People Results; Service-user Results; Society Results;
& Key performance Results;
 Hence, service-user results, people results & society results are
achieved through: leaders driving policy & strategy; harnessing
the potential of their people; ensuring appropriate resources &
systematic processes; & working in partnership with their
communities & other stakeholders. All of which leads to Policing
Excellence in key performance results.
 ENABLERS RESULTS

Strategy and People Results

Policy What are the
Is Community Policing employees’ perceptions
integrated into NPF’s of the NPF and how
strategies and policies as good are the drivers of
the core policing
employee satisfaction?
function...?

Key
Leadership People (NPF staff) Processes Performance
Does the behaviour Does the NPF realise the
Does the NPF manage Results
and improve the
and actions of NPF’s full potential of its people
sequence, tracking,
Service-user
in relation to the
leaders support a
implementation of
handover and Results What is the NPF
culture of ‘excellence’ assessment of all its achieving in relation to
Community Policing? What are service users’
for Community processes...? its planned
perceptions of the NPF
Policing? performance within the
and how good are the
drivers of customer philosophy of
Community Policing?
Partnerships satisfaction?

Does the NPF work in

partnership with the
community?

Society Results
How does society and
the local community
Resources perceive the NPF and
Does the NPF manages what results have been
resources, effectively and achieved relating to
efficiently to facilitate wider community
Community Policing? concerns?

INNOVATION AND LEARNING

  Lessons Learnt:
 Service-user Results
 Local community partnerships being formed in all 129 pilot
police stations to solve problems; improved trust, confidence
& communication;
 Partnership forums fully involve the PCRC in Community
Policing activities – extended to ensure greater & diverse
representation;
 Multi-agency Community Safety Forums functioning
effectively;
 The police working in partnership with Informal Policing
Systems & improved coordination
 There is an increased information flow, resulting in better
use of Intelligence-Led Policing
 Community members reported a reduced fear of crime
  NPF Staff Results
 Improved capacity of DPOs as change agents – improved
leadership & decision making;
 Police staff demonstrated increased knowledge of all aspects
of Community Policing including: the core values, principles &
organisational strategy; the Policing Excellence Model;
neighbourhood policing; intelligence-led policing; problem
solving; & Community Safety Partnerships;
 Staff of all ranks were more empowered, due to daily briefing &
de-briefings; sensitization training changed attitudes &
behaviours;
 Improved planning on key crime issues by DPOs
 A positive change in attitude towards customers/service-users
was observed.
  NPF Staff Results
 Many pilot Divisions instigated a zero-tolerance to corruption,
others noticed a marked reduction in corrupt practices;
 Improved relationships with customers/service-users,
evidenced by the sharing of resources to solve community
problems;
 DPOs inform subs. on resources & financial assistance donated
to the police, & discuss how to best use the donations to
improve service delivery;
 Improved quality of service, e.g. police officers responding
more effectively & efficiently to calls from members of the
public;
 Officers of all ranks - more empowered due to improved
briefings & de-briefings & listened to by their DPOs & CPs– for
 patrol officers taking decisions without resorting to seniors;
  NPF Staff Results
 There is more openness & transparency internally i.e. between staff
of all levels & externally i.e. between the police and community
members;
 Reduced levels of corruption recognised by communities, who
made ‘honesty awards’ to the police officers concerned &
acknowledged the change at public meetings;
 Staff commitment to intelligence-led policing making an impact,
for example in Bauchi over 100 ‘thugs’ intent on public disorder
were arrested before they could cause serious harm; and in
Gwagwalada potentially serious cult activities were prevented
following the receipt of information;
  Society Results
 Reduced fear of crime and/or conflict in the wider
community;
 Traders & other businesses, including those in Lagos & Edo
pilot Divisions were happier to work late into the night due
to the decreased fear of crime;
 Customers felt safer & were happy to patronise late-night
businesses;
 In Taura Division, Jigawa State farmers were able to cultivate
their farmlands during dry season farming due to the
peaceful environment between pastoralists & farmers
facilitated by Community Policing;
 Civil society activities was rejuvenated in some pilot
Divisions, even in notorious ‘no-go areas’, resulting in
increased freedom of movement for all parties;
  Key Performance Results
 Community policing works & suitable for Nigeria;
 Over 3,000 questionnaires were sent out to community members
to ascertain their problems and views on prioritising and reducing
local problems;
 Over 260 partnership meetings were held;
 Crimes were prevented due to improved intelligence, including
violent gang activities; robberies; car-snatching; other violent
crimes; and thefts of domestic animals and other property;
 In places of religious tension, including areas of Kaduna and FCT,
religious leaders came together and pledged to prevent sectarian
violence – some signed a declaration to that effect;
 Religious, ethnic, land dispute and pastoral-farmer conflict were
prevented
  Challenges:
 Many police officers did not see community policing as a policing
philosophy & strategy but more as an add-on to police work;
creating institutional resistance;
 Lack of organizational restructuring to institutionalize community
policing; no operational tools, policies, guidelines, new processes &
procedures; non-democratic structuring of local governance;
entrenched law enforcement structures;
 Centralized & regimented nature of police management structure
affects decision making process;
 Police divisions as primary implementers – have weak structures &
poor definition of roles & resps.; partnership unsustainable
 implementation focused on some strategic aspects of community
policing, neglecting the philosophical aspects;
  Challenges:
 The successes in community were mostly based on individual
interest & commitment rather than organizational commitment;
 Community policing being mistakenly considered by some as an
import from a former colonial power & is therefore irrelevant to
policing in Nigeria;
 Unwillingness to abandon practices that are familiar in favour of
the unknown or uncertain i.e. feeling threatened by the different
operational & managerial competencies required for modern
policing;
 Vested interest on the part of those benefiting from the status
quo;
  Possible Way Forward
 Community Policing should be the core operational philosophy
& strategy for policing in Nigeria.
 Community policing to promote localism in policing – giving
people a say in how they are policed;
 The need to situate CPs, DPOs as change agents to drive COP at
the State Command level; both to be given performance targets;
 Senior officers as leaders must focus as “enablers” and in
“processes” to get the best “results” from implementation;
 Commands to draw up community policing implementation
plans along the strategic plans to be developed;
 CPs to be trained in change management; DPOs to be trained in
divisional management within the context of community
policing;
  Possible Way Forward
 CPDs to perform the role of training, sensitization & awareness of
police personnel;
 In order to mange public expectations, Police Divisions need to
develop more effective partnerships, consultations & problem
solving processes with communities;
 The need to empower & entrust frontline officers enabling them
to respond more effectively to community concerns.
 Community Policing should continue to be integrated into all
police training curricular to further embed the principles &
practice of Community Policing;
  Possible Way Forward
 Current strategy to be designed to serve the needs of local
policing;
 The FHQ should develop the right institutional structures, at all
levels that will support the development of Community Policing.
 FHQ to focus on strategic activities: developing enabling
documents, guidelines, processes, and systems;
 Establishment of a robust performance management system at
FHQ to enable task based assessment & delivery of results;
 The NPF Integrated Intelligence Model earlier developed &
approved by a former IGP need to be implemented to support
COP;
  Posible Way Forward
 The need for organizational change – key to institutionalising
community policing – to be led by IGP & Management;
 For community policing to be institutionalised key changes
MUST take place – structural, cultural, strategic & management
style changes;
 IGP to set up teams to evaluate the entire police structures to be
aligned with COP;
 A programme on workforce modernisation to be initiated;
 FHQ has to set the standard guidelines, policies & frameworks
for all aspects of community policing
 The bulk of work done by J4A programme to be
institutionalised & replicated to all police stations;
 The NPF Integrated Intelligence Model earlier developed &
approved by a former IGP need to be implemented;
  Possible Way Forward
 The need to situate CPs, DPOs as change agents at the State
Command level; both to be given performance targets;
 CPs to be trained in change management; DPOs to be trained
in divisional management within the context of community
policing;
 CPDs to perform the role of training, sensitization & awareness
of police personnel;
 Establishment of a robust performance management system at
FHQ;
  The Way Forward
 “I am a career police officer and I never thought I would
see this day; the communities were elated with their
police officers and Community Policing. They were so
eager to tell their personal stories to us – how they had
worked with the police, how the police really were their
friends and how proud they were to have helped in
solving crimes and problems...Community Policing is
the only way forward for Nigeria.” (view of one of the
evaluators)
 “The march to community policing is irreversible” (Dr
Chuks Okereke, IMU);
END