Semboja Haji describes the challenges facing police reform in Tanzania in 2006 and the assignment of a “team of experts,” which he led, to devise a reform strategy.  He explains that prior attempts at police reform had failed because of a lack of commitment by the government and insufficient financial resources. He says outdated laws and regulations, some stemming from the colonial era, governed the police.The team, comprising seven academics and 28 police, conducted two years of research, including interviews with more than 2,500 police, politicians and civil society leaders, and reviews of police reform efforts in other countries.  He explains that members of the Tanzanian police bought into the reform program because they felt the reforms reflected the input and suggestions they offered in interviews. He says the reform program was entirely designed by Tanzanians without external advisers or donors in order to avoid constraints imposed by donors, and because foreign experts lacked an intimate knowledge of policing conditions in Tanzania.

 

Case Study:  Restoring Police Service with a Community Vision: Tanzania, 2006-2009