PERCEIVED IMPACT OF COMMUNITY POLICING ON CRIME PREVENTION AND

PUBLIC SAFETY IN OZAMIZ CITY, PHILIPPINES

Introduction

Community policing, also known as community-oriented policing, is a framework

that facilitates cooperation between law enforcement and residents in addressing issues

related to safety, crime, and disorder. This model's goal is to enhance all community

members' well-being. By creating a partnership between law enforcement and

residents, collaborative policing aims to foster trust, build relationships, and promote a

sense of shared responsibility for maintaining a safe and secure community.

This model recognizes that effective policing requires more than just enforcing the law.

To tackle the underlying reasons for crime and disorder, community policing

emphasizes problem-solving, communication, and engagement with the community.

Working collaboratively with the community, a proactive approach is taken to prevent

crime and alleviate the fear of crime by identifying and addressing local concerns.

Community policing also acknowledges that law enforcement cannot solve

problems alone. By involving residents in the process, collaborative policing empowers

community members to address issues affecting their neighborhoods actively. This

approach to policing reduces crime, improves community relations, and creates safer,

more secure communities. (OSCE, 2008). Police officers are legally mandated to

protect and serve the public, making their role essential. Building and sustaining mutual

trust between police agencies and their communities is crucial for effective policing and

public safety. Cooperation from community members is essential for police officials to
obtain information about crime in their neighborhoods and to collaborate with them in

developing solutions for crime and disorder issues, according to the U.S. Department of

Justice.

The issue is that the Police and public's connection is only sometimes

harmonious. The police feel threatened by citizens, while citizens lack confidence in the

fairness and impartiality of the police. According to Schlosser's (2020) statement,

community protection and quality of life cannot be solely attributed to the Police. Law-

abiding citizens need to take some responsibility for their neighborhoods and

communities. Therefore, processes need the citizens they serve in the policing process.

More holistic solutions to neighborhood issues can be developed when law enforcement

and the community work together, rather than the Police solely concentrating on

enforcing the law.

Community-based policing is founded on the principle of Sir Robert Peel, the

father of modern policing, in his quote, "Police are the public; the public are the police.

The Police are paid to give full-time attention to duties incumbent upon every citizen in

the interest of community welfare and existence (South Yorkshire Police and Crime

Commissioner, 2023). A law enforcement theory enables any member of society to

engage in self-policing, prevent other members from acting in ways that harm them, and

require other members to engage in civilized interactions.

The conduct of this study is very relevant as community policing, which aims at

crime prevention and public safety, may be perceived differently by the community. For

instance, when there is increased police visibility in the community, this may cause

worry for some residents about heightened surveillance or privacy breaches. On the
other hand, if community policing efforts fail, skepticism and negative attitudes toward

policing may arise. Recognizing these diverse views is vital for law enforcement. This

highlights the significance of continuous dialogue, embracing cultural awareness, and

actively involving the community in addressing their concerns. Ensuring that police

programs genuinely prioritize the safety and well-being of all members of the community

can be achieved by doing so.

Objectives of the Study

1. Determine the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Sex

b. Age

c. Highest Educational Attainment

d. Religion

e. Civil Status

f. Occupation

2. Determine the perceived impact of community policing on crime prevention and

public safety.

3. Find out the significant difference between the perceived impact of community

police on crime prevention and public safety when grouped according to the

profile variables of the study?

4. Determine the perceived challenges of the police officers in the implementation

of community policing?
 5. Determine the significant difference of the perceived challenges of the police

officers in the implementation of community policing when grouped according to

profile variables of the study?

Methods

Research Design. This study will employ a quantitative descriptive study. Through

this type of research, the impact of community policing as perceived by the people in

the community and the challenges perceived by the police officers in implementing

community policing. Since these study variables will be described to get a clear picture

of the situation, descriptive qualitative is an appropriate design for the study.

Respondents and Sampling Technique. The study's respondents will be the

residents of barangays Baybay Triunfo, Carmen Annex, Tinago, Villa Consuelo, and

Malaubang of Ozamiz City and police officers assigned to Ozamiz City Police Station.

The researchers will set 100 respondents to answer the survey by applying quota

sampling. Fifty respondents will be the community residents, and the other 50 will be the

police officers.

Research Instrument. One survey questionnaire will be utilized in this study

which will be both answered by the respondent police officers and community. Part I of

the survey questionnaire answers the respondents' sex, age, highest educational

attainment, religion, civil status, and occupation. Part II of Survey Questionnaire Form 1

consists of 10 questions that describe the police officers’ and community's perceived

impact of community policing on crime prevention and public safety utilizing

standardized test surveys to determine the community's perceptions of community-

oriented policing effectiveness. The ten questions were further translated to Bisaya

version derived from Google translate to aid the respondents who may have less

understanding of the English language for them to have better understanding of the

questions. The Survey Questionnaire is in the form of four-level Likert scale questions

which can be answered by Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree with

same translations into Bisaya version.

Standardized Tools adopted in the study:

The following standardized test survey were utilized in this study:

Police and Community Perception of Community Policing. The 10-item

out of the 15- item survey questionnaire was adopted to determine the police

perception on community policing, as used in the study of MacKillop, Hannah

in 2019.

Data Collection Procedure. Before the study commences, the researchers will

secure the approval of the De La Salle University- Dasmarinas Ethics Committee

regarding the protocols to be used in the conduct of the study. When the approval is

granted, the experts will validate the research instrument and, if necessary, will also be

pilot-tested to establish its reliability, applicability, and relevance to the study. Then, the

permission of the Chief of Police of Ozamiz City Police Station will also be secured. A

separate permission will also be sought from the Barangay Chairman of the selected

barangays. Once approval to gather data is given, the researchers will meet the

selected police officers and respondents from the selected community. The respondents

of the study will be approached to answer the survey questionnaire. Then, the retrieval

of these questions will be scheduled based on the agreement with the respondents.
 Statistical Tools and Data Analysis. The study's data will undergo analysis

using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The profile data will be analyzed using

frequency count and percentage. The perceived impact of policing in crime prevention

and public safety and the perceived challenges in implementing community policing will

be described through mean.

In order to assess the differences in the perceived impact and challenges, a T-test

for independent samples will be utilized.

References:

MacKillop, Hannah, "Police Perceptions of Community Policing" (2019). Criminology

Student Work. 9. https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/crm_studentpub/9

Calvillo, Yesica, “Citizens’ Perceptions of Community-Oriented Policing Effectiveness”

(2020). CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE.