ABSTRACT
Preventing crime and reducing fear of crime, are both closely related to
rebuilding strong communities. It is in view of this that the federal
government of Nigeria through Nigerian Police introduced Community Policing in
order to include both the police and all the Nigerians in the fight against
crime. This study was embarked onto ascertain the fruitfulness of the program
since inception in Nigeria and Enugu North in particular. Six hundred(600)
respondents aged eighteen years and above were selected through simple random
sampling without replacement formula from target population of 244,852 of the
residents of Enugu North Local Government Area to respond to twenty five (25)
questions and ten, (10) respondents for in-depth interviews were purposively
selected to know their opinion concerning Community Policing as an effective
strategy for crime reduction. The result showed that residents of Enugu North
Local Government Area are strongly in support of Community Policing. The fear
of crime has reduced since the introduction of Community Policing. The study
also revealed that although the residents welcomed the strategy as a good one
that should stay but suggested that employment would be a better strategy that
could reduce crime/criminality. The research revealed the challenges faced by
the security agencies (police and other security agencies) to live up to the
standard for effective Community Policing to includes: recruitment of some unqualified
personnel, insufficient crime fighting equipment/patrol vehicles ,in adequate
remunerate ration of the security personnel, and lack of trust of information
to the security agencies by the residents. Finally, it was recommended that the
Nigerian Police and other security agencies should put more effort to improve
on their relationship with the members of the public in other to gain the
confidence of the people for easy flow of information because without
information by both parties, Community Policing will die away.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE - - - - - - - ii
DECLARATION - - - - - - - - iii
CERTIFICATION - - - - - - - - iv
DEDICATION - - - - - - - - v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - - - - - - vi
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study:
1.2
Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Questions
1.3
Objectives of the Study
1.4
Significance of the study
1.5
Operationalization of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATUREREVIEW
2.1
Review of Empirical Literatures
2.2
Review of Theoretical Literature
2.2.1 Crime Control Strategies in Traditional Nigerian Societies.
2.2.2 Crime Control Strategies in Industrial or Modern Societies.
2.3
Review of Relevant Theories
2.3.1 Social Bond Theory
2.3.2 Social Disorganization Theory
2.3.3 Crime Control Model
2.3.4 Broken Windows Theory (BWT)
2.4
Theoretical Orientation
2.5
Hypotheses of the Study
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1
Design of the Study
3.2
Population of the Study
3.3
Sample Size
3.4
Sampling Technique
.5
Instruments for Data Collection
3.6
Administration of Instrument
3.7
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF
RESULTS
4.1
Socio-Demographic Characteristics
of Respondents
4.2
Substantive Issues of the
Research on People’s Perception on Community Policing
4.3
Program as Effective Crime
Reduction Strategy.
4.3
Test for Hypotheses
4.4
Discussion of findings
4.4.1 The awareness of crime incident in Enugu North
4.4.2 Security measure(s) put in place to combat crime in the area
4.4.3 Knowledge about community policing
4.4.4 The assessment of community policing in Enugu North
4.4.5 Challenges facing security agencies in Enugu North
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1
Summary
5.2
Conclusion
5.3
Recommendations
References:
Appendix: Questionnaire
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Neighbourhood watch is one
of the traditional and best known crime prevention concepts in North America.
It was popularly known as the neighbourhood watch organization in Pasadena
Hills, under the direction of St. Louis Country Police Officer, Kyle Jundt,
resident Geno Salvati and resident Ed Tyler. The International Code of
Enforcement Ethics reveals the primary reason for establishing formal police
system in any society thus: as a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty
is to serve mankind and property; to safeguard lives and property; to protect
the innocent against deception; the weak against oppression or intimidation,
and the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect constitutional
rights of all the men to liberty, equity and justice (Qadri, 2005). Admittedly,
the main role of the police is to enforce law and order, safeguard lives and
property, and render other essential services in the society. Put in a
different way, fighting crimes and criminals is so difficult that the police
and other law enforcement agencies alone cannot perform this task and achieve
maximum positive results. Since the most visible part of criminal activities
take place at the neighbourhood level, policing agencies need public support
and co-operation. Intensive partnership and collaborative efforts of both the
formal and informal agents of social control remain preconditions for a
possible near ‘crime-free’ society (a complete crime free society is utopia);
in other words, the idea will lead to a great success in crime prevention and
control in the community.
Community policing is in
hand with systematic relationship between the police and the entire people in
the community. Police roles and functions are not simply law enforcement but
also include tackling a huge range of community problems. The movement from
traditional policing to community policing is a universal phenomenon and the
Nigeria police cannot be an exception to this. Indeed, community policing as a
philosophy and practice is a veritable vehicle for police reforms (Okiro,
2007). The Nigeria police in 2004, adopted community policing as a practical
approach to police reforms. The stage was indeed set for a clear departure from
traditional policing, that was reactive and incident based, to a problem
solving oriented policing that is proactive with the community as the important
part of policing objectives (Abdulrahaman, 2007).
Community policing is a
paradigm shift that seeks to focus on constructive engagement with people who
are the end users of the police service and renegotiate the agreement between
the people and the police therefore making the community co-producers of
justice and a quality police force. The most recent attempt made by the Nigeria
police force to improve its performance was the introduction of community
policing programme in 2004. This was part of the Nigerian Police force’s effort
to change policing to a new and professional policing capable of ensuring and
maintaining proper security of lives and property in Nigeria. Community
oriented policing is a proactive measure that promotes curbing criminal act.
Conclusively, the police
involvement in community affairs is another strong strategy that allows the
police to display themselves as both private citizens and State agents of
social control. Community policing under this programme or strategy presents
the police as servants of the society who, should in a reasonable manner, enforce
law and order and ensure public compliance with policies. Extant studies also
attest that the involvement of police in community affairs has actually yielded
fruitful results. For instance, Quinney (1974) affirmed that when the community
collaborates with police personnel in maintaining social order, it helps the
legal system also to be increasingly used in criminal justice administration.
The police are viable instrument for building an inclusive and organised
community policing in Nigeria. Police involvement in community affairs
facilitates rapid and timely control of persistence rebellion, whether in
outright political processes or behaviour that otherwise, violates the rules of
the society. Community policing also helps the State policing actors to
exercise its repressive force on the people in order to achieve compliance with
the law (see also Kelly & Clark, 2003). This technique can be employed only
in a physically and socially disorganised community. In more disorganised
areas, some experts pointed out, police use aggressive tactics to reduce crime
and ‘take back the streets’ before building relations with community leaders
(Siegel, 2008 citing Nolan, Conti & McDevitt, 2004).
In spite the efforts of various police
administrations to curb crime in Nigeria, crime and social disorder in Nigeria,
it is obvious that there is still persistence of crime in the country.
Thousands of lives and millions of naira worth of property are being lost as a
result of one crime or the other. Some believed that the inability of the
Nigeria police to ensure maximum security in the country is as a result of so
many social and technical challenges ranging from lack of necessary tools to
curb crime in the community and lack of maximum cooperation by the people in
the communities ( Dawn Newspaper, 2011).
Corruption in the Nigeria police force
is fueling abuses against ordinary citizens and severely undermining the rule
of law in Nigeria on a daily basis. Numerous ordinary Nigerians have been
accosted by countless armed police officers who specialized at demanding bribes
and committing human rights abuses against by extorting money from them. These
abuses range from ordinary arrest and unlawful detention to threats and acts of
violence, including sexual assault, torture, and even extrajudicial killings
(Human Rights Watch, 2010).
Police is not unique. Corruption is now
rampant in the Nigeria police force. Various issues of corruption concerning
the commission have been seen and reported. However, the issue of corruption in
the Nigeria police as noted above cannot be treated in isolation of the larger
society. Corruption in the police is so prevalent that it has destroyed
people’s trust and confidence they have in the police. Because of this
prevalence of corruption in Nigeria and in the force, this study then aimed at
investigating the effect of community policing on crime in Nigeria
1.3 Research Questions
The following
research questions are put in place to guide this study:
i.
what
is the prevalence of community policing on crime reduction in Nigeria?
ii.
what
are the factors that affect community policing in Nigeria?
iii.
what
are the efforts taken by the government to ensure better community policing in
Nigeria?
iv.
What
are the problems encountered by the police in the operation of the community
policing strategy in Enugu North?
v.
How
cordial is the relationship between the police and the residents of the Local
Government?
vi.
How
the residents of the Local Government perceive community policing?
vii.
Whataretheinterventionstrategiesthatcanenhancetheeffectivenessofcommunity
policing in Enugu North Local Government?
The general objective of
this study is to determine people’s perception on the effectiveness of
community policing as a crime reduction strategy in Enugu North Local
Government Area. The specific objectives are as follows:
1.3.1 To ascertain the nature/extent of
criminal activities in Enugu North Local Government Area.
1.3.2 To find out the effectiveness of
community policing in Enugu North Local Government Area.
1.3.3 To ascertain the contributions of the
residents of Enugu North towards community policing strategy of the police.
1.3.4 To find out the problems faced by the
police in the operation of community policing strategy in Enugu North Local
Government Area.
1.3.5 TodeterminethenatureofrelationshipbetweenthepoliceandresidentsofEnugu
North Local Government.
1.3.6 TofindouthowtheresidentsintheLocalGovernmentperceivecommunitypolicing.
1.3.7 Tosuggestotherinterventionstrategiesthatmayenhancecommunitypolicingin
Enugu North Local Government Area.
The study has both
theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, community policing has
not received adequate research in Africa and especially in Nigeria compared to
theextensiveresearchesthathavebeencarriedoutintheUnitedStatesandUnitedKingdom.
For this study will be theoretically significant because its findings will help
to close the gap
createdbylackofexistingliteraturesoncommunitypolicingasastrategyforcrimereduction
in Nigeria. It will be an addition to the body of existing sociological,
criminological and criminal justice literatures particularly in the area of
crime reduction strategies. It will also stimulate further research on
community policing in this part of sub-Sahara Africa, and Nigeria in particular.
Practically, the study will also
draw the attention of the police on the need to strengthen their relationship
with the members of the community where they are working, for effective crime
reduction. The findings of this study will help Enugu North in particular and
Nigeria Government at large to plan on how to improve community policing. The
findings will also help the general public to
understand how the community policing enhances or lowers effective crime
control when properly applied.
Finally, the outcome of the
study will no doubt help in the prevention of crime and social disorder, and be
a useful material to research students of criminology, law, law enforcement
agents and public administrators for a crime free society.
1.5 Operationalization of Terms
The following basic concepts are
operationalized for easy comprehension of the study: Community Policing: It is a collaborative effort between the police
and the members of the public to identify the problems of crime and disorder
and to develop solutions from within the community in crime reduction.
Crime: Crime in
this study means any action which contravenes the laws established by political
authority.
Crime Control: In
this study, crime control is the means of solving crime problems, arresting
suspects, processing and incapacitating offenders by the members of society,
agents and the criminal justice system.
Crime Fighting Policing: This is the kind of policing that do not need the collaboration of the
member of the society in crime control/fight but solely depend on themselves to
dictate and control crime example is the police we have during military era.
Crime Prevention: In
this study, it is the present interventions in stopping future crime. Crime Reduction: It is all the effort
from the people and the government to reduce the rate of crime in a given
society.
Hunting and Gathering societies: This concept means “societies whose mode of
subsistence is gained from hunting animals, fishing and gathering edible
plants. (Giddens, 2004:691).
Lack of Understanding: In this study, lack of understanding is the attitude of the police
towards the people that made the people to see the police as uncivilized,
brutal and corrupt and do not want to have anything in common leaking vital
information to Nigerian police vice versal.
Law Enforcement Agencies: They are those that are responsible for detecting, fighting and
controlling crime in any society.
Perception: It is
the way a set of people see or understand a given circumstances, or the
awareness created by some people about something or issues.
Strategy: In this study, strategy is the way or means of doing the same thing in a different
way for more positive result.
Traditional Policing: Principally, they are government agency responsible for law
enforcement and also to detect and arrest criminals, (Swanson, Territo and Taylor1998). It is also to mean in this research
work the kind of police system used before the advent of the colonial masters,
whereby the emirs at the north uses palace guards, the oba at the west make use
of palace guards and council of elders of the east uses age-grade to ensure order.
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