A decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the NWFP IGP on Tuesday to install a system of community policing in the province, bringing citizens in as extra manpower at checkpoints to bolster the efforts of the regular police force. This is a pragmatic approach to the problem of scarcity: the number of policemen deployed across the country is insufficient to maintain security and public order. There are too few law-enforcement officers to ensure even routine policing, let alone take on the challenges posed by the militancy threat as terrorist attacks continue to mount across the country.

It is sensible, therefore, to involve local communities in the task of crime prevention and intelligence-gathering, particularly since they have access to valuable insider information. Areas with high crime rates would specifically benefit from community policing. After all, similar efforts, such as those of neighbourhood watch committees, have proved of great value to law-enforcement agencies in other parts of the world.

However, ways must be found of ensuring that community police members are conscientious, trustworthy citizens fully aware of the scope — and limits — of their role. Such a system must only bolster the efforts of law-enforcement personnel. Members of the community police must not take the task of investigation upon themselves. This would leave the system open to abuse. All information gathered through community policing must be passed on to the regular police authorities, who should ensure that due process is followed in all cases.

Meanwhile, it is essential to take steps to counter the scarcity of policemen in the country. So many policemen have been assigned VIP duty. This has been to the disadvantage of ordinary citizens who feel unprotected. While VIPs no doubt require extra security in these dangerous times, their needs should be reconsidered in the light of the rising crime graph.