Prospects and Challenges of Community Policing: The Case of Chencha Town Administration of South Ethiopia Regional State

Community policing is a proactive approach aimed at strengthening the relationship between police and the community. The purpose of this study was to assess prospects and challenges of community policing in Chencha Town, Gamo Zone, and South Ethiopian Regional State. The study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, with descriptive research design and probability and non-probability sampling techniques. In order to conduct the study, the researcher selected a study area through purposive sampling; the target population of the study was 1,340 households, with a sample size of 308 determined from the target population by using a formula. The study utilized primary and secondary sources to gather data; primary data was gathered through questionnaires, key informant interviews, and FGDs. While secondary data was gathered from books, published papers, and existing documents, qualitative data was analysed by thematic analysis, and quantitative data was analysed by descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. The finding of the study revealed that there is lack of awareness, violation of human rights, inadequate logistic support, budget, inadequate human resources and high willingness to participate and assist the police. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that, to create awareness, police should respect human rights and also allocate an adequate budget, logistic support, and adequate human resources, and people should participate and collaborate with the police in a sustained way.