Abstract:
This study investigated the contribution of community policing to peacebuilding in the Dire Dawa City Administration, Ethiopia. Despite the institutional adoption of community-oriented strategies, the city continues to navigate localized security challenges and social tensions that test the effectiveness of its policing model. The research employed a descriptive and explanatory research design, utilizing a mixed-methods approach to gather data from a sample of 300 participants, including residents across five selected kebeles, police officers, and advisory committee members. Data collection was facilitated through structured questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and non-participant field observations to ensure a comprehensive triangulation of results. The findings reveal that community policing practices encompassing philosophical, strategic, tactical, and organizational dimensions are moderately implemented. While the model has been notably successful in fostering social cohesion and reducing inter-community tensions, its impact on objective crime reduction is perceived as more gradual. A strong positive and statistically significant relationship was found between all community policing dimensions and peacebuilding outcomes, highlighting that philosophical alignment and strategic partnership are the strongest predictors of urban stability. However, the study identifies critical bottlenecks, including the persistence of traditional authoritarian mindsets among some officers, a lack of specialized conflict-resolution training, and chronic resource shortages. The study concludes that community policing is an emerging but currently under-resourced peacebuilding tool in Dire Dawa. It recommends institutionalizing “soft-skill” mediation training, leveraging digital technology for E-policing, and formally integrating the moral authority of traditional elders into the security architecture. Strengthening these areas is essential to transition the current model from a largely procedural partnership into a substantive, community-centered peacebuilding framework.
