The implementation of community policing in slum neighborhoods of addis ababa, ethiopia

Community policing is a recent philosophy in policing which is based on the assumption that the best way of solving the crime problem is taking proactive measures to prevent the occurrence of crime. The successful implementation of the strategy depends on the level of cooperation among the community, the police, and other stake holders. This study assesses how successful community policing is in a slum neighborhood which is characterized by high rate of crime and juvenile delinquency: Kebele 31 of Addis Ketema sub city, Addis Ababa. In-depth interviews with key-informants and community members and community FGDs were held with a total of 31 respondents to collect primary data. The findings of the study reveal that there is a promising change in the Kebele brought by the implementation of community policing. The changes resulted from the cooperative efforts of the police, the Kebele residents, governmental organizations, NGOS, and other stake holders involved. As the finding of the study suggests, community policing has proven to be a worthwhile endeavor in the neighborhood and it has brought about undeniable change in reducing crime and creating a better relationship between the police and the community.