Assessment of Police-Community Relations in Conflict Management in Bauchi State

This study assesses the quality of police-community relations and its implications for conflict management in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. Effective policing is a cornerstone of conflict prevention and management, and the nature of the relationship between the Nigeria Police Force and the communities it serves is a critical determinant of public safety outcomes. However, incidents of extrajudicial conduct, corruption, and ethnic bias in policing have eroded public trust in many Nigerian states, undermining cooperative conflict management. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 200 respondents across Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, and Ningi local government areas including community members, business owners, and civil society advocates. Police focus group discussions supplemented community surveys. The theoretical framework draws from the procedural justice theory and the trust in policing model. Findings reveal that a majority of respondents in Bauchi report low levels of trust in the police, with negative encounters related to extortion and selective enforcement being the most frequently cited reasons. Communities with active community policing forums and regular police-community dialogue reported higher trust scores and lower incidences of conflict escalation. Recommendations include institutionalising police-community liaison committees in all Bauchi LGAs, establishing an independent police conduct oversight body, and integrating community conflict mediation training into police curriculum for officers deployed in Bauchi State. Keywords: police-community relations, conflict management, Bauchi State, trust, community policing.