Challenges of empowering local community: the case of Addis Ababa police commission

This study probes the challenges to implement the strategies of community policing in empowering the community at Ketena 09, Addis Ketema Sub city. The sub city was selected after a comparison was made among the eleven sub-cities of police in the metro Politian. To make the comparison objective, the study used the crime statics reported in the past three years. Qualitative method was the strategy employed to meaning data from in-depth interview solicited from 22 key informants selected based on the eligibility criteria. Six residents, seven members of the ketene advisory council, and nine police officers were finally identified. Data gathered from in-depth interviews were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that the community olicing structure begins from family police at the grass roots level and hieratically grows to block and ketene council. The challenges are misusing the community policing philosophies for political gain, labeling and silencing critical voices, misusage of power and disempowering the lower structure where the police are there to deliver services. The study recommends the government officials, police chiefs, and community policing boards to review the policies, operational procedures, and structural arrangements and develop research informed frameworks to free the implementation from unnecessary grounds and political influences.