ODI Global
A Community Police Officer stands outside his office
It is reported that community policing has led to reduced crime in Amhara over the last 5 years. While it is difficult to obtain accurate statics to verify this, it is clear that through the innovations of Community Police Officers, residents feel safer.
But there are also some less positive effects of community policing. With structures reaching all the way down to the household level, community policing provides the Ethiopian state with an effective surveillance system. In a political context like Ethiopia, where there are concerns about the balance between democracy and authoritarianism, such surveillance can be seen to have sinister intentions. Balancing between these positive and negative effects is essential if community policing is to contribute to improved access to security for Ethiopians.
To read more about community policing in Ethiopia, see ODI's recent case study.
Images ODI/Lisa Denney
A Community Police Officer stands outside his office
It is reported that community policing has led to reduced crime in Amhara over the last 5 years. While it is difficult to obtain accurate statics to verify this, it is clear that through the innovations of Community Police Officers, residents feel safer.
But there are also some less positive effects of community policing. With structures reaching all the way down to the household level, community policing provides the Ethiopian state with an effective surveillance system. In a political context like Ethiopia, where there are concerns about the balance between democracy and authoritarianism, such surveillance can be seen to have sinister intentions. Balancing between these positive and negative effects is essential if community policing is to contribute to improved access to security for Ethiopians.
To read more about community policing in Ethiopia, see ODI's recent case study.
Images ODI/Lisa Denney