Thesis:

Influence of community policing on incidents of crime reduction in Mandera county, Kenya

Because Mandera County is so close to the Al Shabaab-infested region of Somalia, it has seen a particularly high number of terrorist activities in recent years. The Mandera County Government has frequently been urged to use greater community policing as a means of combating terrorism. This study investigates the influence of community policing on crime reduction in Mandera County, Kenya, using Identity Theory as its framework. A convergent parallel mixed-method research design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection. The study involved 156 respondents, purposively selected from a population of 175,372, and data was gathered through surveys with community members engaged in policing and interviews with chiefs, police station commanders, and the head of the National Taskforce on Community Policing. To ensure instrument validity, tools were reviewed by a research supervisor and pre-tested in Wajir County, while reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha, with a threshold of 0.7. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and descriptive statistics such as mean percentages. The study aimed to expand the knowledge base on community policing, particularly its role in addressing crimes such as terrorism. The findings provide insights for the Mandera County government on the effectiveness of community policing initiatives in reducing crime and terrorism incidents. They also offer relevant information for researchers and development professionals interested in replicating similar studies in other regions. The findings reveal that respondents generally feel community policing campaigns are not conducted frequently enough. Respondents generally disagree on the frequency of neighborhood security meetings, with a range of opinions about the regularity of these gatherings. There is general disagreement about the regularity of government-led community-police meetings, with some variation in responses. The findings suggest that the Nyumba Kumi initiative is not always regularly practiced in neighborhoods, with mixed opinions on its frequency. Respondents perceive terrorism incidents and crime in their community as highly frequent, with a significant increase in victimization rates over time.The study concludes that there is a general recognition of the potential effectiveness of community policing in reducing terrorism, there are concerns about the infrequency of campaigns. There are concerns regarding the frequency and consistency of these meetings and information-sharing practices. While government-led community-police meetings have the potential to strengthen relationships and reduce terrorism. The Nyumba Kumi initiative appears to have a positive impact on enhancing community security and reducing terrorism, especially due to the involvement of local leaders and community engagement. The study recommends the need to regularly schedule awareness campaigns to ensure broader community engagement and increased impact. There is need to regularly schedule awareness campaigns to ensure broader community engagement and increased impact. The government should schedule and promote regular community-police meetings to foster continuous dialogue and collaboration. The Nyumba Kumi initiative is seen as a valuable tool in enhancing community security and reducing terrorism, especially due to its involvement of local leadership.