The 21st century civil society aspires to have a resilient alliance with the law enforcement agencies in general and the police in particular. Endeavours of the police to reach out to the people can guarantee security and enhance the concern of the people in policing the society at large. However, the relationship between the police and the people continue to remain strained and distant. The police commissionerates of the capital cities of Bhubaneswar and Guwahati (both in eastern India) have undertaken community policing initiatives to build the trust of the people in law enforcement. A strong bond between the police and the public can ensure the success of the community policing programmes in achieving the desired aim. However, the real ordeal about awareness and participation of the people in the collaborative efforts of the police is less than satisfactory. The present empirical study compares the perception of the people about the nature of police-public relationship in these two cities of Eastern India.