DIFFERENT from urban policing in terms of community ties, resources and issues, village policing is aimed at public safety and law enforcement in rural areas. Ideally, VP blends formal policing with community participation rooted in informal structures such as local justice systems. VP officers are embedded in the community whose trust and cooperation they aim to gain, and whose participation they encourage in crime prevention, intelligence gathering, reporting suspicious activity and dispute resolution. Quick localised responses reduce reliance on distant authorities. Compared to urban policing, VP is cost-effective, relying on existing local structures. Blending customary practice leads to culturally sensitive policing.

The village headman and watchman had a central role in maintaining order. The chowkidar was appointed and paid by the village. The British created a disconnect between police and community, with lasting effects. Pre-colonial villages were self-regulating; elders mediated, enforced order and resolved disputes according to local customs. Post 1857, the British centralised Indian policing through the Police Act, 1861 that stressed control over community service. While operating separately from VP, it relied on chowkidars for........

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