INCREASING PUBLIC TRUST IN THE POLICE
Improving public security by bridging the gap between police and citizens
Sumaiya Akhter, a 12-year-old in Dhaka, hung herself from her ceiling fan with a scarf. She had been harassed daily by an older neighborhood boy and must have felt she had nowhere to turn. According to statistics recently released by the Bangladesh Police, crimes against women are among the top three offences. Citizens in many areas do not have a positive relationship with their local police officers. Regrettably, Sumaiya's case is not isolated. Crime is on the rise and the strained relationship between the police and local residents is often mentioned as a significant factor: among all professions, Bangladeshi police are one of the least trusted. At the same time, the police are seriously challenged to reverse crime trends. They lack resources, skills, equipment, and manpower.
To address this, we worked with the police to activate 518 village-level Community Policing Forums (CPFs) in 16 districts, bringing together police and citizens in monthly meetings, awareness-raising campaigns, joint patrols, and police open houses. These CPFs were created by the Bangladesh Police under a 2007 national mandate, but were largely inactive until The Asia Foundation began providing technical support. We also developed and taught a three-day course for 200 midlevel police officers on how to partner with citizens to identify solutions to and prevent crime. An adapted version of this course was taught to 250 community leaders to enhance their understanding of the challenges law enforcement officers face and their willingness to partner with police on community issues. Through these efforts, there has been a remarkable change among participating police officials and they have activated additional forums in other districts.
— GOLAM AZAM FARUQUE
Program Officer, Community Based Policing, Bogra