Ever since the first police departments were formed in the 1800s, there has been continuous debate over the appropriate model of policing to address criminal behavior and activities. The criminal threat, combined with the demands of an ever changing society, drive this debate and dictate the desired model for law enforcement to pursue. In recent decades, the community-oriented policing model has become increasingly popular and many police forces have implemented elements of it into their procedures. Community oriented policing is believed by many to have the potential to deter some level of criminal behavior, prior to it ever happening. In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and The Global War on Terror, intelligence-led policing has received strong levels of attention as many desire to see a more direct approach to addressing serious criminal threats. While debate rages on over the appropriate model for local law enforcement to use, it is worthwhile to question whether a hybrid model would be impactful. This is particularly true when assessing how to properly address and counter violent extremism, which has underlying issues that encompass an array of psychological, sociological, and criminological aspects.
To start the discussion, a brief explanation of both community-oriented policing and intelligence-led policing is required. Community oriented policing is a model of policing that emphasizes community problem solving through partnerships between the community and the local law enforcement agency. This usually is done in conjunction with a reorganization of the police force to diminish the barriers between the force and the local community.
Intelligence-led policing is based on both qualitative and quantitative data and intelligence, leading to directed police activities based on the evidence gathered. An example of this type of policing model would be to analyze data on burglaries in an area. Police can, with enough data collected, determine the time, days of the week, geographic tendencies, and method of entry used by the involved criminals. Forces can then make informed decisions and direct increased patrols during these times and in these areas in an effort to catch the criminals.
Countering violent extremism is related to countering terrorism, but is a distinct discipline. Countering violent extremism requires an understanding of the ideological, sociological, and psychological influences that lead individuals to develop extremist ideologies which leave them more likely to commit acts of violence.
By developing a comprehensive understanding of this process and the ideology itself, one can develop solutions to prevent the radicalization process, intervene in cases where the process has begun, or attempt to roll back the ideology of someone who has been radicalized. Punitive policing and criminal justice measures do little to prevent, intervene, or rehabilitate someone who has become radicalized or is vulnerable to radicalization; in fact, punitive approaches may make the situation worse.
Both models of policing mentioned above are accompanied by challenges unique to each one. For community oriented policing, law enforcement faces the struggle of a changing power dynamic as the community becomes increasingly involved. Further, especially when dealing with organized crime and even violent extremism, law enforcement must come to terms with working with former gang members or violent extremists in order to address the issues with the involved community.
In applying a hybrid policing model which blends community-oriented policing and intelligence-led policing, public perception is critical. On the surface of the model, the focus must be on community-oriented policing as this is critical to develop ties with communities, particularly those which are marginalized. The model must present itself as a grassroots movement whose priority is helping the community, not developing criminal cases to be prosecuted. Once established, relationships with the community will serve as the primary source of methods to prevent the radicalization process from ever starting. Those cases in which the process begins, it will likely be the community members who first become aware of the trend in the individual or group towards extremism. This will allow for proper intervention, preferably led by the community members but in conjunction with local law enforcement. Local law enforcement must not treat these individuals as terrorists, as this may further develop a sense of marginalization in the individual.
In cases that are further along in the radicalization process, these community relationships will also foster intelligence collection efforts for law enforcement. A community that feels valued and important is much more likely to provide information to local police services. Through this intelligence, police can direct strategies to monitor individuals or groups. These strategies must involve other applicable jurisdictions and there must be adequate dissemination of intelligence products to all agencies involved.
However, law enforcement should be careful during this process. Overt surveillance may lead the community as a whole to feel as if the police are working against them. Another area of concern is that once intelligence is developed about an individual or group, strict protocols must be implemented and followed to ensure complete privacy rights of the individual. Being labeled as a ‘terrorist’ before one is even confirmed to be an extremist may lead further marginalization and eventually to full-on extremism.
This hybrid model is meant to be implemented by state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. For this reason, it is highly dependent upon support from state policymakers who understand the strategy and support it to their utmost ability. While this discussion was a very simplistic and brief explanation of the reasoning for, and basic procedures of, this type of hybrid model, it serves as introductory post towards implementing this model of policing.
John Patrick Wilson is a Law Enforcement Professional and Research Fellow at Rise to Peace
“We are sinking”: A Speech from the Sea Tuvalu’s foreign minister Simon Kofe addressed the…
Remembering September 11th "The Black Swan Theory", coined by Nassim Nicholas Caleb, describes sporadic, unforeseen,…
The Global Terrorism Index (GTI), a comprehensive study prepared by the Institute for Economics and…
“Women’s security in the home is a reflection of the security in the country. If…
Tangu idara za kwanza za polisi zilipoanzishwa katika miaka ya 1800, kumekuwa na mjadala wa kuendelea juu ya mfano sahihi wa polisi kushughulikia tabia na shughuli za uhalifu. Tisho la uhalifu, pamoja na mahitaji ya jamii inayobadilika daima, huendesha mjadala huu na kuamuru mfano unaotakiwa kwa utekelezaji wa sheria kufuata. Katika miongo ya hivi karibuni, mtindo wa polisi unaolenga jamii umekuwa maarufu zaidi na vikosi vingi vya polisi vimetekeleza vipengele vyake katika taratibu zao. Polisi wa jamii wanaamini kuwa wana uwezo wa kuzuia tabia fulani ya uhalifu kabla ya kutokea. Baada ya mashambulizi ya kigaidi ya Septemba 11 na Vita vya Ulimwengu dhidi ya Ugaidi, polisi wa ujasusi wamepokea viwango vikali vya umakini kwani wengi wanataka kuona mbinu ya moja kwa moja zaidi ya kushughulikia vitisho vikali vya uhalifu. Wakati mjadala unaendelea juu ya mfano unaofaa kwa utekelezaji wa sheria ya ndani kutumia, ni muhimu kuhoji kama mfano wa mchanganyiko ungekuwa na athari. Hii ni kweli hasa wakati wa kutathmini jinsi ya kushughulikia na kukabiliana na ukatili mkali, ambao una masuala ya msingi ambayo yanajumuisha safu ya masuala ya kisaikolojia, kijamii, na uhalifu. Kuanza majadiliano, ufafanuzi mfupi wa wote polisi jamii-oriented na polisi intelligence-kuongozwa inahitajika. Polisi wa jamii ni mfano wa polisi ambao unasisitiza kutatua matatizo ya jamii kupitia ushirikiano kati ya jamii na shirika la kutekeleza sheria la mahali hapo. Hii kwa kawaida hufanywa pamoja na marekebisho ya jeshi la polisi ili kupunguza vizuizi kati ya jeshi na jamii ya ndani. Usimamizi wa polisi unaoongozwa na ujasusi unategemea data na ujasusi wa ubora na kiasi, na kuongoza shughuli za polisi zilizoelekezwa kulingana na ushahidi uliokusanywa. Mfano wa aina hii ya mfano wa polisi itakuwa kuchambua data juu ya wizi katika eneo. Polisi wanaweza, kwa data ya kutosha zilizokusanywa, kuamua wakati, siku za wiki, mielekeo ya kijiografia, na njia ya kuingia iliyotumiwa na wahalifu wanaohusika. "Kisha wanajeshi wanaweza kufanya maamuzi ya busara na kuelekeza ziara za ziada wakati huu na katika maeneo haya katika juhudi za kukamata wahalifu. """ Kupambana na ukatili wa kigaidi ni kuhusiana na kupambana na ugaidi, lakini ni nidhamu tofauti. Kupambana na ukatili wa kigaidi inahitaji uelewa wa ushawishi wa kiitikadi, kijamii, na kisaikolojia ambao huongoza watu kuendeleza itikadi kali ambazo huwafanya wawe na uwezekano mkubwa wa kutenda vitendo vya vurugu. Kwa kuendeleza uelewa wa kina wa mchakato huu na itikadi yenyewe, mtu anaweza kuendeleza suluhisho la kuzuia mchakato wa radicalization, kuingilia kati katika kesi ambapo mchakato umeanza, au kujaribu kugeuka nyuma ya itikadi ya mtu ambaye amekuwa radicalized. """Hatua za polisi na haki za jinai hazifanyi mengi kuzuia, kuingilia kati, au kurekebisha mtu ambaye amekuwa mkali au ni hatari kwa ukali; kwa kweli, mbinu za adhabu zinaweza kuharibu hali." Mifano yote miwili ya polisi iliyotajwa hapo juu inaambatana na changamoto za kipekee kwa kila mmoja. Kwa polisi wa jamii, utekelezaji wa sheria unakabiliwa na mapambano ya nguvu inayobadilika wakati jamii inahusika zaidi. "Kwa kuongezea, hasa wakati wa kushughulika na uhalifu uliopangwa na hata ukatili wa kigaidi, utekelezaji wa sheria lazima ufikie makubaliano na kufanya kazi na wanachama wa zamani wa genge au wakali wa kigaidi ili kushughulikia masuala na jamii inayohusika. """ Katika kutumia mtindo wa polisi mchanganyiko ambao unachanganya polisi wa jamii na polisi wa ujasusi, maoni ya umma ni muhimu. Kwa upande wa mfano, lengo lazima liwe kwenye polisi wa jamii, kwani hii ni muhimu kuendeleza uhusiano na jamii, haswa zile ambazo zimepuuzwa. "Mfano huo lazima ujitokeze kama harakati ya msingi ambayo kipaumbele chake ni kusaidia jamii, sio kuendeleza kesi za jinai za kushtakiwa. """ Mara baada ya kuanzishwa, mahusiano na jamii yatatumika kama chanzo kikuu cha mbinu za kuzuia mchakato wa radicalization kutoka hata kuanza. Katika kesi ambazo mchakato huanza, ni uwezekano kuwa wanachama wa jamii watakuwa wa kwanza kutambua mwelekeo katika mtu binafsi au kundi kuelekea ukatili. Hii itaruhusu uingiliaji sahihi, ikipendwa kuongozwa na wanachama wa jamii lakini kwa kushirikiana na utekelezaji wa sheria wa ndani. "Watu wa kutekeleza sheria hawapaswi kuwatendea kama magaidi, kwani hii inaweza kuendeleza hisia ya kutengwa katika mtu binafsi. """ Katika kesi ambazo ni zaidi mbali katika mchakato wa radicalization, mahusiano haya ya jamii pia itasaidia juhudi za ukusanyaji wa ujasusi kwa utekelezaji wa sheria. Jamii inayohisi inathaminiwa na muhimu ina uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kutoa habari kwa huduma za polisi za mitaa. Kupitia habari hizo, polisi wanaweza kuongoza mbinu za kufuatilia watu mmoja-mmoja au vikundi. Mkakati huu lazima ujumuishe mamlaka nyingine zinazotumika na lazima kuwe na usambazaji wa kutosha wa bidhaa za ujasusi kwa mashirika yote yanayohusika. Hata hivyo, watekelezaji wa sheria wanapaswa kuwa waangalifu wakati wa mchakato huu. Ufuatiliaji wa wazi waweza kuongoza jumuiya nzima kuhisi kana kwamba polisi wanafanya kazi dhidi yao. "Uchunguzi wa habari kuhusu mtu au kikundi fulani lazima ufuatwe kwa utaratibu ili kuhakikisha haki kamili ya faragha ya mtu huyo.""" Kuwa na lebo ya "gaidi" kabla ya mtu hata kuthibitishwa kuwa mkali inaweza kusababisha marginalization zaidi na hatimaye kwa ukali kamili. Mfano huu mchanganyiko unakusudiwa kutekelezwa na serikali, mitaa, na mashirika ya utekelezaji wa sheria ya kikabila. Kwa sababu hii, inategemea sana msaada kutoka kwa watunga sera wa serikali ambao wanaelewa mkakati na kuunga mkono kwa uwezo wao mkubwa. Ingawa mazungumzo haya yalikuwa maelezo ya ufupi na ya kifupi ya sababu na taratibu za msingi za aina hii ya mfano wa mseto, hutumika kama chapisho la utangulizi kuelekea kutekeleza mtindo huu wa polisi. "Mwanamke huyo, ambaye ni mwanasheria wa sheria na mwanasaikolojia wa shirika la Rise to Peace, aliandika katika ukurasa wake wa Twitter: ""Tunaingia katika hali ya kutisha, na tunakumbuka Septemba 11, wakati ambapo nadharia ya ""Black Swan"" iliyoundwa na Nassim Nicholas Caleb, inaelezea athari za ghafla, zisizotarajiwa, za Uhalifu wa Kimataifa (GTI), utafiti wa kina ulioandaliwa na Taasisi ya Uchumi na... """ Ikiwa...