Influence of Police Community Relations in Managing Electoral Violence in Lilongwe City, Malawi

Abstract

This study examined the influence of police-community relations on the management of electoral violence in Lilongwe City, Malawi. The study was motivated by recurring electoral conflicts and persistent allegations of police bias during elections, which have undermined public confidence in the police and contributed to electoral instability across multiple electoral cycles. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to establish the nature of police-community relations, analyse the distinct roles of police officers and community members, evaluate existing collaborative strategies, and examine the challenges undermining policecommunity relations in the management of electoral violence. The study was informed by the Functionalism Theory and the Procedural Justice Theory. Functionalism Theory provided a framework for understanding the role of social institutions, particularly the police and the community, in maintaining social order and stability during electoral processes, while Procedural Justice Theory explained how perceptions of fairness, neutrality, and legitimacy in policing influence public trust, cooperation, and compliance with lawful directives during politically sensitive periods. A mixed method approach was used, enabling the researcher to capture both statistical trends and lived experiences and triangulate findings from multiple sources. The target population comprised 826,522 residents of Lilongwe City, representing economically active individuals aged 21 years and above who were likely to have participated in or been affected by electoral activities. From this population, a sample of 384 respondents was selected. The sample included youths, adults, police officers, clergy, and civil society representatives, drawn using stratified random, purposive, and snowball sampling techniques to ensure representation across different stakeholder groups and geographic areas within the city. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussion guide, achieving a response rate of 91% (n = 348). Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29, while qualitative data were analysed through thematic content analysis. Following data analysis, the findings were presented according to the study objectives. The findings revealed that policecommunity relations in Lilongwe City were characterized by fragile coexistence rather than genuine partnership, with routine cooperation masking underlying distrust that became dangerously exposed during electoral periods when communities most needed police neutrality. The study further established that communities preferred structured partnerships over unilateral police approaches in managing electoral violence, indicating a desire for collaborative security arrangements rather than top-down enforcement that often alienates citizens. Additionally, police-community relations strategies were found to be effective only when implemented consistently and insulated from political interference, highlighting the importance of timing, regularity, and institutional independence for successful violence prevention. Political interference emerged as the most significant challenge affecting the effectiveness of police-community relations during elections, eroding public trust and undermining police legitimacy, followed by resource constraints. The study concluded that police-community relations contribute to the reduction of electoral violence only when partnerships are founded on mutual trust, strategies are implemented consistently, and police actions remain impartial and professional throughout the electoral cycle. The study recommends that the Malawi Police Service publicly commit to non-partisanship through a binding code of conduct signed by all officers; that Parliament amend the Police Act to establish statutory guarantees of police independence during elections; that communities actively promote transparency and accountability by reporting misconduct to oversight bodies; and that civil society organizations engage police proactively when organizing demonstrations and other electoral activities. The implementation of these recommendations would strengthen police-community relations and contribute to peaceful and violence-free electoral processes in Malawi