Engaging Muslim communities to tackle radicalisation and violent extremism: what does the evidence say and what can police do?

Police rely on information and assistance from the community in order to disrupt and prevent acts of terrorism. However such assistance will not be forthcoming or sustained unless the police undertake effective forms of community engagement. This is particularly the case in the context of police working with Muslim communities to tackle radicalisation and violent extremism. However Muslim communities in Australia and abroad feel targeted and stigmatised due to counterterrorism policy and practice. This can make them distrustful of police and less willing to work in partnership with police. So what can police do then to enhance their outreach and engagement of Muslim communities? In this paper we examine this issue by reviewing evidence on the effectiveness of community engagement derived from research on the policing of Muslim communities. Based on this review we outline some key principles and recommendations that police should adopt to enhance their engagement efforts