COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGIES IN RELATION TO RESILIENCY AGAINST CRIMINALITY

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of community policing strategies for bolstering the resilience of people and police officers against criminality in Pagadian City in 2024, employing a descriptive-correlational research design. Data were gathered from 200 people in barangays characterized by elevated crime rates and 155 police officers, utilizing an adapted questionnaire checklist. The participants were categorized according to age, gender, marital status, educational qualifications, years of service, and length of residency. The study used statistics like frequency counting, percentages, descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis H test for the rest of the profile, the Mann-Whitney U test for gender only, and Pearson's correlation coefficient to look at the link between community policing strategies and how well people thought they worked at making communities stronger. Findings found that police officers and people see neighborhood patrols and community engagement as successful in increasing safety and confidence. Additionally, community forums and specialized police units were rated as more effective but recognized areas for development, notably in community participation. A substantial association between community policing strategies and resilience to criminality was identified, demonstrating that proactive policing promotes community safety. Thus, this research advised improving police visibility, enhancing community outreach activities, incorporating people into policing task teams, and prioritizing continuous education and training for police personnel to increase community participation and crime prevention initiatives.