Diversifying From Within: Community Policing and the Governance of Security in Northern Ireland

The subtle and complex nature of Northern Ireland’s transitional landscape presents acutediffi culties for the community policing concept. As the core to the police reforms in the country, itsimplementation has faltered in the face of institutional inertia within the Police Service of NorthernIreland (PSNI). This has been further exacerbated by a failure of the police to adequately increasethe co-production of security through improved engagement and utilization of Northern Ireland’sdiverse community infrastructures. This paper will assess the delivery of community policing by thePSNI, while exploring their engagement with Northern Ireland’s grass-roots community organizations,and specifi cally those involved with the governance of security at the local level. Thus, through aframework of adaptation, engagement and delivery of community policing by the PSNI within theunique context of Northern Ireland’s security ‘ otherness ’ , the paper will explore the key issues topolice – community interaction associated with the broader vision of the Independent Commission onPolicing (ICP) on community policing.