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PROJECT TOPIC:  COMMUNITY POLICING AND CRIME REDUCTION IN OBIO AKPOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
Department:  criminology
AMOUNT:  10,000
FORMAT:   MS WORD
PAGES:  88
 
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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

            Nigeria joined the league of countries operating community policing to address its gamut of security problems including ethno-religious conflicts, banditry, economic terrorism, among others, which had already attracted public acrimony and condemnation against the civilian government. Indeed, the practice of community policing in Nigeria is fraught with many contradictions, which have hitherto deepened the nation’s frustration in forging appropriate path to safeguard the security of lives and property in the face of growing security threats (James,2015). Every society desires one form of policing or the other to protect life and property, and regulate the conduct of its members. In the pre-colonial era, policing in most communities in Nigeria was informal in nature. Modern policing was introduced in Nigeria by the colonial masters to protect their interests and enforce colonial laws. The training focus of the police then was mainly to maintain and enforce colonial laws which were anti-people in some cases. The police therefore paid little or no attention to service to the people within the community during the colonial era and in some instances up till now. There existed negative apprehension, distrust, and disgust on the part of the public and their relationship to the police (Mammus, 2010).Over time the police-citizen relationship in Nigeria is characterized by deep suspicion and violence (Alemika & Chukwuma, 2000). It is these suspicion and violence that influenced police training operational orientations. These militaristic and unfriendly training orientations of the police and their brutality to the people created a gap between the police and the people they were meant to serve. Subsequent governments in Nigeria used the police as an oppressive instrument against the poor and lower-class members of society (Alemika, 2012). The police continued to be isolated from the public through various training philosophies and organisational subculture.  The police through their attitudes, and training have negated the philosophical rationale for their existence, which according to Alemika, (2012), is needed to promote the enforcement of laws and norms that are designed to regulate conflicts and enhance the well-being of members of society.

            Community Policing entails community partnership in creating a safe and secured environment for all. It is a policing strategy whereby the people play active role in managing their security. With community policing, the police is not regarded as a stranger whose presence stands for danger and imminent hazard but as partners in progress and development. The frosty relationship between the police and members of the public has enjoyed a wide coverage among scholars. It was in reaction to this development that the concept of community policing was introduced (Ikuteyijo, 2009). According to Abashi (2018), the Nigeria police embraced community policing as a pragmatic approach to police reforms in 2004. The stage was set for a clear departure from traditional policing that was reactive and incident based to problem- solving oriented approach to policing that is proactive with the community serving as the cornerstone of policing objectives. Community policing has been defined and implemented differently over time and within different contexts, largely because it is a policing philosophy that is tailored to the changing needs of local communities. The US Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) defines community policing as “a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime” (Community Oriented Policing Services 2014, 1).

            On the other hand, crime is an act of omission or commission committed against the state within the legal law that defined certain behaviors as crime against humanity within the criminal justice system, punishable under defined acts, (Akuul,, 2011). The judiciary comprises of the Police, court and the prison service, given a social and legal responsibility to arrest, prosecute and sentence offenders according to the crime committed within the location (Davis et al, 2015). Curbing disorder, fighting crime and increasing feelings of personal safety requires commitment from both the police and the host community. The concept of community policing and traditional policing (vigilante group) has two distinct commutative meanings, referring to a social unit larger than a small village that shares common values. The concept can also refer to the national community, international community. Community constitutes of beliefs systems, intents, needs, risks, and structures share among small or larger group (Alemika, 2013).

            Historically, the concept of community policing can be examined base on defined roles that is traceable from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial period in Nigeria. The three basic regions in Nigeria, the North, East, and West are composed of three basic ethnic groups, the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba have their system of community policing based on their traditional norms and values, commonly known as neighborhoods watch (Okeke,2013). This is determined by increase in crime rate associated to their values, norms and taboo. Crime is an act against individual or community or violation of human rights punishable by the state within defined laws. The colonial period experience was a new face of community policing with the introduction of colonial masters and western style of policing different from traditional policing with new structure and equipment to protect citizens from violent crimes, through fast medium of information and communication technologies .

            The role of community policing and traditional policing on the prevention of crimes and law enforcement in the society is necessary in this contemporary modern world, especially, due to human right violation. The development of advance technology has enabled many complex methods of committing crimes as well checkmating in the community. Sophisticated weapons use for armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, rape, assault, ethnic violence is obvious social reality that make police force to remain active force in combating crimes at all level (Ford et al,2013). This can only be achieved as a result of conventional police force developing mutual relationships with members of community to inform the police relation department any criminal behavior, should be reported to the police investigation department. The motive behind community policing is to function as a medium of relationship with communities to report or give any information of crimes to conventional police that have the constitutional backing to arrest, investigate, and prosecute offenders at the court of justice.

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