Digital Community Policing as a Measure to Prevent Radicalization and Extremism

Digital Community Policing (DCP) is a novel strategy employed by the Berlin Police to counteract radicalization and extremism. This approach gained momentum following the 2016 terrorist attacks in Berlin, prompting a reorganization focused on combating violent radicalization, particularly in the digital realm where such behaviors increasingly occur. This paper assesses DCP’s effectiveness within these preventive frameworks and presents findings from a national evaluation of how German police forces have adopted and implemented DCP or similar concepts. The results underscore the critical role of digital community policing in contemporary law enforcement, especially for addressing extremism online.