Intercultural Cities - Manual on community policing (2019)

Europe’s social structure has become increasingly diverse: Europeans have plural identities, different ethnic origins, nationalities, various religions, beliefs, languages, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities and economic situations. This heterogeneity can have two opposing effects: society may become more understanding, supportive, enriched and modern, or – especially when “the other” remains unfamiliar – diversity may generate fear, suspicion and cultural conflicts. Such conflicts are a challenge that the police services and the public authorities of intercultural cities will have to manage.

One thing common to law-enforcement everywhere is that police services must adapt to the society they serve. The Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme promotes interculturalism as a policy model for managing diversity as a strength rather than a threat. It defines the intercultural city as a place with a diverse population in which the citizens and their policy makers regard diversity as a resource, promote openness and accept that all cultures change as they encounter each other in the public space. The officials of an intercultural city – including police officers – publicly advocate respect for diversity and for a pluralistic city identity. City authorities actively combat prejudice and discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for all by adapting their governance structures, institutions and services to the needs of a diverse population, without compromising the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

This manual presents how community policing can be a background philosophy for action within the police service in general. It is intended primarily for police working locally, including high-ranking police officers, public safety directors and managers, and decision makers. It aims to provide these public servants with a guide on implementing policing principles to design new procedures, protocols, structures and specialised units within their police community, and to effectively address the challenges that diversity may pose to the achievement of peaceful coexistence, in the medium and long term.