Assessing The Impact Of Community Policing Strategies on Preventing Substance Abuse Among Youth in Moshi Municipality

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of community policing strategies on preventing substance abuse among youth in Moshi Municipality. The research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of various communities policing strategies and identifying the challenges encountered during implementation. Specifically, the study identified the employed community policing strategies, assessed their impact on preventing youth substance abuse, and explored challenges in implementation. A mixed methods approach was utilised, incorporating quantitative surveys from 100 respondents comprising 60 youth and 40 community members and qualitative interviews with 10 key informants, resulting in a total of 110 respondents. The key informants included the Police Officer in Charge of the District (OCD), three Ward Executive Officers (WEOs), three Ward Police Officers (WPOs), two Councillors, and one Street Chairperson. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and semi structured interviews, with quantitative data analysed through SPSS and qualitative data analysed thematically. Findings indicated that community policing strategies, such as youth partnerships and targeted awareness campaigns, achieved moderate success, with 84% of respondents reporting positive outcomes. Additionally, 68% perceived a decline in youth substance abuse, supported by a 10.8% reduction in reported cases from the Moshi Municipal Crime Statistics Office. However, challenges such as limited resources, low youth engagement, and inadequate communication persisted, with 76% identifying resource constraints as a significant barrier. The study recommends increasing resource allocation, enhancing community outreach, and fostering greater youth involvement to improve the effectiveness of substance abuse prevention initiatives in Moshi Municipality.