Peace Building Funds support capacity building to Police-Community Relations: creating Peaceful and Safe Communities and reduced crime

In the  outskirts of Juba, Juba, Republic South Sudan, amidst the busy life of Jebel Dinka village, a remarkable effort unfolds. Community members have embarked on a noble journey to keep their community safe and free of criminals through community policing. They have formed a Police-Community Relations Committee (PCRC) - a committee that works in close partnership with the country’s law enforcement bodies to fight crime and make the place safe for all its occupants. 

PCRC members were trained and equipped with community policing techniques, helping them to execute their duties efficiently.  The training was conducted by UNDP with funding from the Secretary General’s Peace Building Fund (PBF), a fund set up by the UN Secretary General to respond to imminent threats to peace, strengthen national capacity to promote peace, stimulate economic revitalization, and re-establish basic services.

Ms. Regina John currently serves as the chair lady of the PCRC, and she attests that the trainings and PCRC workshop she participated in have helped her to learn community policing skills which she now uses to help promote safety in her community, making it habitable.

“Jebel Dinka is now peaceful and cases of attacks by youth thugs have reduced greatly due to improved community -police relationships. The community works hand in hand with the police to identify and fight crime ensuring that perpetrators are arrested and handed over to the respective law enforcement organs in the country” Regina explained. 

Ms. Regina recalls a day when her son was attacked by the village youth thugs commonly known as “Niggars”. “Thanks to good police and community relations, we worked together and where able to identify and arrest the thugs. This discouraged other youth from joining the Niggars’ group which was terrorizing the community of Jebel Dinka and Juba at large" she continued to narrate. 

‘Without the support from the PCRC, there is no way, the police or the community would have arrested the thugs that attacked my son, they would still be at large and continued to attack more innocent people” said Ms. Regina, while explaining the benefits of the PCRC. As the committee Chair Lady, Regina notes that her participation in the PCRC has exposed her to more training opportunities which has empowered her to provide leadership to the group.

The PCRC also leads sensitization campaigns to create awareness and engage youth through sports activities, keeping them busy and occupied thus reducing their chances of joining bad groups.  

“Since the formation of the PCRC, cases of attacks by youth thugs have reduced, and there is a good relationship between the police and the community, fostering a favorable working environment for the community and police" said Abrahim, the Deputy chairperson of PCRC in Jebel Dinka. 

The Police and Community is working together, making it easier for the community to report cases, identify the criminals and work with the police to arrest them. The time taken to inform the police/ security personnel for intervention has also been reduced. The relationship between the police and the community has improved with communities having more confidence in the police while the police have increased their sense of responsibility to the people. 

The Support to PCRC is part of the initiatives under the Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform project aimed at increasing interaction and responsiveness between local security sector personnel/institutions and women to build trust and confidence among them.  The project closed in 2023, and its impacts are still being felt by the communities.