AKU: An African Journal of Contemporary Research

Community policing has been presented as a viable option for addressing the security challenges in Nigeria through collaboration between the law enforcement agencies and the local communities. Despite various policing reforms, conventional security measures have not been effective in reducing crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria. This review paper examines the role of community policing in enhancing security by focusing on its principles, implementation challenges and effectiveness. Using qualitative research design, this study collates information from published journals, books, government reports and policies to present an in-depth understanding of community policing in the context of Nigerian security. The study finds that while community policing has been successfully implemented in various parts of the world such as UK, Japan and Kenya, there are several challenges hindering its effectiveness in Nigeria including corruption, mistrust of law enforcers, lack of funds and political pressure. However, empirical studies have demonstrated that community policing, if implemented effectively, can help reduce the crime rate and increase intelligence gathering in a given geographical area. The study further identifies policy recommendations for effective community policing in Nigeria.

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