The increasing incidence of youth-related violence, insecurity, and social fragmentation has renewed scholarly and policy interest in non-coercive approaches to community security. This paper examines sports programmes as strategic instruments for strengthening community security through the promotion of social cohesion, positive youth development, and crime prevention. Using a conceptual and analytical review design, the study synthesizes recent empirical literature, international policy documents, and sport-for-development evidence to examine four key areas: the conceptualization of sports within community security, the major types of sports programmes that promote peace and social cohesion, the contribution of sports to youth crime prevention and development, and the broader implications of sports for sustainable community security. The thematic synthesis demonstrates that community leagues, school-community partnerships, peace tournaments, Sport for Development (S4D) initiatives, and inclusive recreational programmes create structured opportunities for trust-building, intercultural interaction, leadership development, civic engagement, mentorship, and life skills acquisition. These programmes also reduce youth idleness, strengthen informal social control, and provide constructive alternatives to crime and violence. Guided by Social Cohesion Theory, the Positive Youth Development framework, and Routine Activity Theory, the paper argues that sports function as multidimensional community-based interventions rather than merely recreational activities. The study concludes that institutionalizing sports within community security, peacebuilding, and youth development policies can enhance public safety, strengthen social resilience, reduce communal tensions, and complement formal security interventions. The paper recommends sustained government investment, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and evidence-based implementation of sports programmes as integral components of community security and sustainable development
strategies.