Community engagement
What is it: the benefits

Improved policies and services: community engagement brings current local first-hand knowledge to policy and services issues. Local people and service users are often able to bring a different perspective to problems.

Higher levels of trust: community engagement can help bridge the 'us and them' feeling between decision-makers and the public. It can help build trust, knowledge, legitimacy and ownership.

Public interest decisions: policy and service decisions can better reflect the perceived needs and demands of users and citizens.

Active citizenship: being invited to take part in decision-making can encourage people to develop the skills and interest in becoming more active in their communities.

Improved accountability: community engagement can increase the openness and transparency of the police. It helps increase their accountability to the public.

Inclusiveness: community engagement is a way of opening up decision-making to all parts of the community. It can help build relations across communities and tackle problems of isolation.

Savings in time and money: accurate information from users and citizens can help avoid wrong or unpopular decisions being taken.

Enhanced democracy: it can build the sense that democracy is something that everyone has stake in, and should take part in.