CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN CRIME PREVENTION UTILIZING COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGY: CASE STUDY OF MAHANAK MOSQUE COMMUNITY, POMPRABSATTRUPAI DISTRICT, BANGKOK METROPOLITAN
Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to examine the process of building participation between the community and the police, factors supporting the community involvement and barriers to establish citizen involvement in crime prevention. The study was a qualitative research utilizing in-depth interview and participant observation. The results of the study were as follows: the first step of the process to build partnership between the community and the police is planning and developing actions prior to field operation which include the neighborhood ministrations project, selecting qualified police personnel and providing them training of the community policing strategy. Second step is field operation which include selecting the qualified community leaders and religious leaders, recruiting volunteer citizen patrols, building relationship with the community, exploring and targeting crime problems and social disorder in the community, taking action and implementing the planed strategies in preventing and solving crime and performance evaluation. Factors supporting the involvement of the community consist of sharing common interest and concern, a determination to change the community in the desirable direction, attaining psychological rewards, and operational results and gaining trust of the police, being informed and persuaded to participate in the different channels of participation, doctrines and religious leaders and the relationship of the members within the community. Barriers to establish community involvement in crime prevention are building relationships with people in the community they serve, insufficient funding, discontinuation of policy implementation and uncooperativeness of the drug addicts family.