Community police crime prevention

Donald Mbosowo

doi:10.1007/bf02811064

When Citizens Are “Actually Doing Police Work”: The Blurring of Boundaries in WhatsApp Neighbourhood Crime Prevention Groups in The Netherlands

Surveillance & Society ◽

10.24908/ss.v17i3/4.8664 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3/4) ◽

pp. 272-287 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anouk Mols ◽

Jason Pridmore

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Crime Prevention ◽

Social Cohesion ◽

Police Work ◽

Community Police ◽

Neighbourhood Watch ◽

Camera Phones ◽

Ethnic Profiling

Neighbourhood watch messaging groups are part of an already pervasive phenomenon in The Netherlands, despite having only recently emerged. In many neighbourhoods, street signs have been installed to make passers-by aware of active neighbourhood surveillance. In messaging groups (using WhatsApp or similar communication apps), neighbours exchange warnings, concerns, and information about incidents, emergencies, and (allegedly) suspicious situations. These exchanges often lead to neighbours actively protecting and monitoring their streets, sending messages about suspicious activities, and using camera-phones to record events. While citizen-initiated participatory policing practices in the neighbourhood can increase (experiences of) safety and social cohesion, they often default to lateral surveillance, ethnic profiling, risky vigilantism, and distrust towards neighbours and strangers. Whereas the use of messaging apps is central, WhatsApp neighbourhood crime prevention (WNCP) groups are heterogeneous: they vary from independent self-organised policing networks to neighbours working with and alongside community police. As suggested by one of our interviewees, this can lead to citizens “actually doing police work,” which complicates relationships between police and citizens. This paper draws on interviews and focus groups in order to examine participatory policing practices and the responsibilisation of citizens for their neighbourhood safety and security. This exploration of actual practices shows that these often diverge from the intended process and that the blurring of boundaries between police and citizens complicates issues of accountability and normalises suspicion and the responsibilisation of citizens.

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Community police role in maintaining security and supporting police institutions in the suburbs of Jerusalem Governorate: واقع الشرطة المجتمعية في حفظ الأمن كمساند للمؤسسة الشرطية في ضواحي محافظة القدس

Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences - مجلة العلوم الإنسانية و الإجتماعية ◽

10.26389/ajsrp.m080421 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (14) ◽

pp. 89-72

Author(s):

Ina’am Eid Zaatreh, Iyad Abdullah Lafy Ina’am Eid Zaatreh, Iyad Abdullah Lafy

Keyword(s):

Social Science ◽

Crime Prevention ◽

Police Officers ◽

Success Factors ◽

Education Curriculum ◽

Community Police ◽

Government Institutions ◽

Exploratory Approach ◽

Five Axes

This study aims at examining the community police role in maintaining security in the suburbs of Jerusalem governorate. The study, used a descriptive exploratory approach. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to the study sample of (52) employees working in government institutions in the suburbs of Jerusalem, after verifying its validity and stability. its final form consisted of (37) paragraphs distributed over five axes. The study’s most important results were: The police community ability to promote faith and loyalty got the highest arithmetic averages of (73.3), followed by their ability to maintain peace in community which got an arithmetic averages of (72.1). Finally their success factors got an arithmetic averages of (71.2). The study recommended the following: Establishing mobile offices for the community police. The inclusion of crime prevention in the education curriculum, that should be taught by police officers. Creation of Civil Peace units in the Palestinian governorates, and to headed by graduates of law or Social Science.

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Keeping an eye on the neighbours: Police, citizens, and communication within mobile neighbourhood crime prevention groups

The Police Journal Theory Practice and Principles ◽

10.1177/0032258x18768397 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 97-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jason Pridmore ◽

Anouk Mols ◽

Yijing Wang ◽

Frank Holleman

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Crime Prevention ◽

Police Officers ◽

Mixed Methods Research ◽

Community Police

Mobile neighbourhood crime prevention has become increasingly popular in the Netherlands. Since 2015, 7,250 WhatsApp neighbourhood crime prevention (WNCP) groups have been registered online, most of which are initiated and moderated by citizens. This entails a form of participatory policing aimed at neighbourhood crime prevention, which may provoke increased feelings of anxiety and interpersonal surveillance. Community police officers and citizens need to adapt to changed interactions and trust relations in the neighbourhood. This mixed-methods research examines both the mediation of messaging applications and its implementation by both citizens and police, indicating the tensions and negotiations around formal and informal ‘policing’.

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