Crime Prevention Through Community Policing: A Comparative Analysis Of U.S.A. And India

Dr. Samrat Datta, Assistant Professor, Seedling School of Law & Governance, Jaipur National University

ABSTRACT

In the arena of Criminal Justice Administration (CJA), police occupy a pivotal position as it is considered as one of the closest arms of the CJA easily accessible to the general people. People fear police due to their cynic personality but at the same time at the times of need it is they who invoke the doors of the police station as they have the firm belief that the police would do something to assure justice to them. The police are considered as the watchdog of the society and the agent of crime prevention. Although the police in India is mostly criticised due to its inefficiency, but the actual problem is not inefficiency but lack of resources. However, globally police occupy a decent position and the work they are doing in various countries including United States of America (U.S.A.) among many others, is par excellence. This praise is attributed to the police for the sole reason that they work in close tandem with the people of the country to help facilitate crime prevention, which is commonly known as Community Policing. Community Oriented Policing (COP) today is considered as the best form of policing and has also been adopted by various civilised democracies across the world. Although the pioneer of the same was the U.S.A., but the drive has been adopted by other nations as well as it has yielded good results and better governance. The present research highlights these aspects of policing and aims to acquaint its audience with the different measures followed across the two cultures of India and U.S.A. and how it has been a success or a failure in both the countries.

Keywords: Police, Community Policing, Justice, Law Enforcement, Good Governance