| dc.description.abstract | Community-oriented policing (COP) is no longer a ―quiet revolution‖ as Meese averred
exactly 3 decades ago. Today, nearly every country has embedded COP principles into their
policies and national police-related laws. In Kenya, this is reflected in the National Police
Service Act (NPSA) 2011 and recently in a targeted regulatory piece – the Kenya COP
Guideline/Booklet. One key goal is to bridge the divide between police and the community
and create a partnership environment necessary for their engagement and proactive
collaboration in policing. However, despite these policy and legal frameworks, crime and
public disorder remain a significant challenge in Kisumu and the county is ranks way above
national averages across many indicators of crime. Kisumu central bares a higher percentage
of crime rate as compared to all other sub-counties as it hosts the city CBD, Kondele,
Nyalenda, Obunga, and Manyatta slums all of which are categorized by the NCIC as hotspots
for criminal activities. Consequently, this study investigated the assessment of police-
community partnership in COP initiatives to combat crime in Kisumu Central sub-county,
Kenya. Specific objectives examined the nature of community engagement in community
policing policy and practice; assessed the extent of application of police-community
collaborative problem-solving initiatives using a SARA model; and finally assessed the
opportunities and challenges that underpin the implementation of COP in Kisumu Central
sub-county. The study was guided by Systems Theory (von-Bertalanffy, 1972). An
exploratory mixed-methods design was adopted, drawing respondents from each of the six
administrative Wards. A sample size of 394 was drawn from the current population of
Kisumu Central Sub-county based on the Fisher et al. (1991) formula. 18 Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) were with community members (6), police officers (6), and Community
Policing Committee members (CPCM) (6). 16 Key Informant Interviews were held 2 with
each of the 6 strata and an additional 4 with key community members, traditional leaders,
youth representatives, and women representatives. Purposive and snowball sampling was
used to recruit knowledgeable actors in FGDs and KIIs while simple random sampling was
employed to administer household surveys. Simple descriptive statistics helped analyze
survey data while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study revealed low levels
of engagement across the five indicators used, low levels of collaboration in each other
SARA model elements, and lastly that numerous challenges are responsible for this state of
affairs. Together, findings revealed community perception that links lack of engagement and
collaboration to be responsible for the perceived high rates of crime and disorder across the
Sub-County. Fortunately, analysis shows that there are opportunities to turn the story around
and make Kisumu Central Sub-County a better place to live. The study reveals the need for
forging whole-of-government and whole-of-society mechanisms as well as a commitment by
the Government of Kenya to walk her talks envisaged in the National Police Service Police
Act 2011 by allocating resources to implement, monitor, and improve COP not only in
Kisumu but across the country | en_US |
