Mustapha Babatunde Kotun
&
Bulus Nom Audu, PhD
Department of History and International Studies,
Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State
Email: budu2010@yahoo.com

Abstract
This paper reviews some core components of community policing and their effects on national development in Nigeria. The study does this by specifically reviewing the extent of security threat on centralized policing, the willingness of citizens’ support, the extent of the collaboration of municipal patrolling with central regulating system, and the relationship between metropolitan supervision and economic improvement in Nigeria. The attitude and disconnect between Nigeria’s formal policing structure and the community is perceived to have contributed to the inefficiency of the Nigerian policing system which is highly centralized. This issue seems to have grossly undermined the country’s national development and thus the need to be examined. In its final analysis the study establishes the fact that despite its challenges, community policing if properly executed would reduce the prevalence insecurity in Nigeria thereby aiding national development.
Keywords: Community Policing, Insecurity, National Development, Policing, Security

 

Introduction
Keeping peace and maintaining the safety of citizens and property cannot be over emphasized for the progress and survival of any sovereign nation. It can be viewed as a precondition for good governance leading to secure economic growth, political advancement, national peace building, human capital development, human freedom, and proper functioning of things in a country. Oikhala opined that global security challenges tends to have adverse effects on the world at large as insecurity appears to have compromised desired national development of many countries of the world1. Incidence of insecurity differs from one continent to another viz-a-viz one country to another as well as their consequences. There is no doubt therefore that, the absence of internal security breeds disorder, increases insecurity, distorts freedom, reduces human value, and impoverishes the citizens, hence, the necessity of community policing for sustaining law and order in communities as an integral component of peace and security policy arises.
Cossyleon explained community policing as a philosophy which promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnership and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues. It is a way of combating crime and criminal act to achieve greater positive outcomes in each society. Nigeria has and is experiencing different forms of unpleasant internal security threats such as banditry, human trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping, killings, militancy, violence, assassinations, armed robbery, thuggery, and communal clashes amongst others2. The spate of insecurity has assumed a worrisome trend and it appears that the existing apparatus of government tasked with confronting these threats head on is either over stretched, inefficient, or both. The loss of lives and properties have hindered so many activities among which is the mass exit of investors from the country, discouragement of potential investors, drop in oil revenue, and national development in the long run3. This view admits that national development cannot be attained in the absence of a productive economy, capable administration, and responsive state. In as much as there are concerted efforts at checking insecurity in Nigeria, it is observed that the incidence of insecurity comes with a severe negative impact on her national development.

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