Local Security Councils and Community Policing in Serbia : between vision and reality

Abstract

The multi-dimensional approach to understanding human and the implementation of the community policing strategy as two complementary parts of the concept of quality of life make it possible to qualitatively consider security in local communities. According to the concept of human security, institutions are obliged to provide citizens with permanent protection, instead of occasional, to act preventively, rather than reactively, whereby all relevant local community actors actively participate in deciding on issues related to their security. One way to actively involve key members of a community in improving (human) security at the local level is the formation of local security councils. In Serbia, the first local security councils were established in 2002 as a result of the implementation of the pilot project “Police in the local community and a safe community in Serbia”. Fifteen years later, there are 119 local security councils in Serbia. In addition to representatives of local self-government and representatives of other institutions (police, judiciary, social welfare centres, school institutions, health services, etc.), the representatives of civil society also participate in their work. Nevertheless, the functioning of local security councils in Serbia is still little known. There is also insufficient knowledge in which manner these bodies contribute to the improvement of human security at the local level. Theoretical considerations in this paper are focused on the analysis of the conducted quantitative and qualitative research with the aim of reviewing the legislative, security and sociological environment in which local security councils are established and operating. Key findings point to the necessity and significance of the decentralization of local security, the need for further development of the police in the local community, and the determination of the scope, dynamics and methodology of the work of the local advisory bodies for security.