Assessing the Effectiveness of Community Policing in Enhancing Public Trust and Safety: A Case Study of Sargodha Region

Abstract

Community policing has played an important role in contemporary policing approach that established cooperation between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The main purpose of this research is to identify the effectiveness of community policing practices in enhancing public trust and improving the safety measures in the Sargodha region. Community policing is a collaborative strategy that plays an important role in promoting citizen participation, problem solving, and shared responsibility for the community welfare. A quantitative research design was  used to explore public opinions regarding community policing, police behavior, responsiveness, fairness, and safety. Data was collected through a structured questionnaires filled by the peoples based on a Likert-scale format. A total of 110 valid responses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistical techniques were applied to identify trends in public trust and safety. The research shows that community policing has a positive yet moderate impact on public trust and safety in the Sargodha region. While the participants acknowledged police efforts to engage with the community and in preventing crime, a small number of people response on neutral or negative views, focusing on issues such as limited participation in the community and dissatisfaction with complaint handling process. The study results that strengthening community involvement, improving the transparency and enhancing police responsibilities are important in enhancing the effectiveness of community policing initiatives.