EFFECT OF COMMUNITY POLICING ON CRIME PREVENTION IN NIGERIA

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

1.2 Statement of  Problem - - - - - - 8

1.3 Objective of the Study - - - - - - 10

1.4 Research Questions- - - - - - - 11

1.5 Statement of the Hypothesis - - - - - 12

1.6 Significance of  Study - - - - - - 13

1.7 Scope of the Study - - - - - - 14

1.8 Definition of Key Terms - - - - - 15

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - 18

2.2 Conceptual Framework - - - - - - 33

2.3 Theoretical Framework - - - - - - 45

2.4 Empirical Review - - - - - - - 50

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design - - - - - - 56

3.2 Population of the Study - - - - - - 57

3.3 Sample Size - - - - - - - - 57

3.4Sampling Technique - - - - - - 58

3.5 Method of Data Collection - - - - - 58

3.6 Technique for Data Analysis - - - - - 59

3.7 Model Specification and Variable Definition - - 59

3.8 Measurement of Variables - - - - - 59

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

4.1 Presentation of Data - - - - - - 60

4.2 Discussion of Findings - - - - - - 79

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary - - - - - - - - 80

5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - 80

5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - 93

References - - - - - - -    - 95

Appendix - - - - -         - - - 98

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).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

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 fuelling 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:

1. what is the prevalence of community policing on crime reduction in Nigeria?

2. what are the factors that affect community policing in Nigeria?

3. what are the efforts taken by the government to ensure better community policing in Nigeria?

4. What are the problems encountered by the police in the operation of the community policing strategy in Enugu North?

5. How cordial is the relationship between the police and the residents of the Local Government?

6. How the residents of the Local Government perceive community policing?

7. Whataretheinterventionstrategiesthatcanenhancetheeffectivenessofcommunity policing in Enugu North Local Government?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

 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. To ascertain the nature/extent of criminal activities in Enugu North Local Government Area.

2. To find out the effectiveness of community policing in Enugu North Local Government Area.

3. To ascertain the contributions of the residents of Enugu North towards community policing strategy of the police.

4. To find out the problems faced by the police in the operation of community policing strategy in Enugu North Local Government Area.

5. TodeterminethenatureofrelationshipbetweenthepoliceandresidentsofEnugu North Local Government.

6. TofindouthowtheresidentsintheLocalGovernmentperceivecommunitypolicing.

7. Tosuggestotherinterventionstrategiesthatmayenhancecommunitypolicingin Enugu North Local Government Area.

1.5 Significance of the study

The study has both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, community policing has not received adequate research in Africa and especially in Nigeria compared to the extensive researches that have been carried out in the United States and United Kingdom. For this study will be theoretically significant because its findings will help to close the gap created by lack of existing literature son community policing as a strategy for crime reduction 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.

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.

1.6 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).