A major objective for PSNI is to establish active partnerships between the police, the community and other relevant bodies through which crime, service delivery and police-community relations can be analysed and appropriate solutions designed and implemented.
Policing with the Community is defined as:
"Community policing is proactive, solution-based and community driven. It occurs where the police and law-abiding citizens work together to do four things:
- Prevent crime
- Inter-agency problem solving
- Bring offenders to justice
- Improve the overall quality of life."
The aim of community policing is to improve community safety by reducing crime and the fear of crime, and tackling anti-social behaviour. It cannot be properly implemented in an organisation where reactive policing is the underlying style. The practice of community policing can only be by officers who are empowered and supported by management. Community policing does not exclude law enforcement.
The translation of this definition to operational practice is dependent upon the implementation of the key principles, which must apply to all aspects of police activity.
The Five Principles of Community Policing in Northern Ireland
The five principles are:
- Service delivery
- Partnership
- Problem solving
- Empowerment
- Accountability
The Policing Board monitors implementation of this strategy through the work of its Community Engagement Committee. In doing this, the PSNI report to the Committee on this subject every four months.
In monitoring this strategy, the Policing Board is particularly interested in the extent to which policing with the community has become the ethos in all areas of policing. There is also significant attention given to the extent to which PSNI are working in partnership with other organisations, and the degree to which day to day policing in all areas is shaped and influenced by this Strategy.
PSNI's 25 Recommendations in Relation to Neighbourhood Policing