Community policing in Himachal Pradesh: A study of Solan police district

The community policing focuses on close collaboration with the community and addressing community problems. The community policing spotlight the police being proactive in delivering the services and having increased interface of police with community. It is a bridge between police and common man. Police administration, in any country can fulfill its duties successfully only with the assistance of the people and healthy relationship between police and public can be helpful in controlling the crime and make the society fear free. Public support is required for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of cases, and also for maintaining peace during all important social, cultural, economic and political events. Police-public relations remain sensitive and complex because of constantly changing interactions among representatives of the police organization and an assortment of governmental agencies, public groups, and private individuals representing a wide range of competing and often conflicting interests. Police need the assistance of the public as witnesses, informers and supporters. In community policing, police generate the consciousness among the public to help them in case of need. The purpose to serve the public, to understand the problems of public and a commitment to public for their security lead to healthy police-public relations. The paper is an attempt to assess the community policing initiatives in the Solon Police District of the State of Himachal Pradesh.