Policing has completed its natural cycle, originating from a community function to a global network, and now back to base as community or universal policing. The common phrase of ‘Dan’sanda Abokin Kowa’ (police the friend for all) has transformed into the new ‘Dan’sanda Na Kowa’ (policing for all by all). The process of policing is intrinsically tied to the primary activities of the People. The Police are the closest government agents to the community level.

1. COMMUNITY POLICING IN NIGERIA:
An Overview
BY
Dr Tanko Ahmed, fwc
Managing Director, AANDEC Consult Limited, Abuja
Guest Speaker

2. A Training Workshop for Stakeholders of
Community Policing Projects Across the Country
Bauchi-Borno-Yobe and Adamawa-Gombe-
Taraba
Held in Maiduguri, Borno State,
Wednesday 16 – Thursday 17, November 2022

3. INTRODUCTION
‘… Dan’sanda Abokin Kowa …’

4. Background
• Policing has completed its natural cycle, originating from
a community function to a global network, and now back
to base as community or universal policing.
• The common phrase of ‘Dan’sanda Abokin Kowa’ (police
the friend for all) has transformed into the new
‘Dan’sanda Na Kowa’ (policing for all by all).
• The process of policing is intrinsically tied to the
primary activities of the People.
• The Police are the closest government agents to the
community level.

5. History of Community Policing
• Policing originates in the formation of social or
human grouping, society, community, and nation(s).
• The popular idea that Community Policing in Nigeria
originates from 2004 is a short-change of history.
• From pre-colonial and colonial to post-independence
and the current dispensation, the narrative on
effective policing revolves around partnership in
service delivery.
• Policing in Nigeria might have been generally soiled
with oppression, mistrust, and corruption BUT now
endowed with the resolve of service with the people.

6. UNDERSTANDING
COMMUNITY POLICING

7. Concept of Community Policing
• Community Policing is the philosophy, practice,
partnership, participation or process of police service
delivery from the community to the larger society.
• To the Police, it is the extension of partnership to the
people, a force multiplication, and an ultimate service
delivery system.
• To the people, it is the ultimate participation in safety,
security, self-organisation and governance, with the
People’s Police Force.
• The People’s participation in partnership with the Police
are the key words in the concept of Community Policing.

8. Community Policing in Nigeria
• Policing is natural where there are common rules,
customs, laws and duties requiring observation and
sanctions.
• Traditional policing may be eroded by time, in
transitions and transformations, but the basic instinct
to survive and safeguards values remain intact.
• Community Policing in Nigeria went through historical
transformations, from pre-colonial to colonial and post-
independence, with serious challenges.
• The current project, running for almost two decades
since 2004, has completed its cycle, with the workshop
for stakeholders.

9. COMMUNITY POLICING PROJECT
IN NIGERIA

10. Stakeholders of Community Policing in Nigeria
• The Federal Government in the White Paper directed
that
“The police should establish effective police-
community linkages from the lowest to the highest
levels to ensure the implementation of crime
prevention strategies and policing priorities of the
various communities”.
• As a universal community policing programme, the entire
citizens and their police force are the stakeholders.

11. The People’s Police
• The Training Manual says that:
police’s integration into the community it serves
and in responding to the needs of that community,
the community participating in its policing and
supporting its police.
Police Community Relations Committees (PCRC)
Neighbourhood Watch schemes (Vigilante groups)
• The Training Workshop for stakeholders is here to
activate the entire process in various modules.

12. THE TRAINING WORKSHOP

13. Overview of the Training Modules
 Module 1: Overview of Comm Policing.
 Module 2: Principles of Comm Policing.
 Module 3: Legal and Inst Frameworks.
 Module 4: Comm Policing Stakeholders.
 Module 5: Operational Structure.

14. Other Modules
 Module 6: Community Policing and Human
Rights.
 Module 7: Strategies of Community
Engagement and Conflict Resolution.
 Module 8: Community Policing and Effective
Intelligence-Led Policing.
 Module 9: Implementation of Community
Policing and Its Challenges.

15. CONCLUSION
‘… Dan’sanda Na Kowa …’

16. Summary
• Community Policing is all about Police-Citizen
Partnership.
• It is for quantitative and qualitative
participatory interaction.
• It is aimed at problem-solving in policing
service delivery at the community level.

17. The 3Ps of Community Policing
•Partnership
•Participation
•Problem-Solving

18. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING