Community Policing in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

Gbenemene Kpae (Ph.D); Adishi; Eric; (Ph.D)

Community Policing in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

Gbenemene Kpae (Ph.D) and Adishi, Eric, (Ph.D)

Abstract

Community policing is a concept that is fast gaining ground in Nigeria especially among the police. Its model emphasizes proactive rather than reactive policing. It is also principled on partnership and decentralization of powers for effective crime fighting. The involvement of the community in crime fighting is a very essential element of community policing. While the Nigeria Police Force is used to the traditional model of policing where authorities are centralized and police only respond to call for service, in contrast, community policing believes that powers and responsibility of policing the neighborhood should be shared between the police and the community. It is a paradigm shift from the traditional policing of receiving orders from above to that of making decisions as situations arises in the community. The slow development of community policing in Nigeria is due largely to the police history that is built on a semi-military command structure, and where the police are used to the use of force and brutality. However, as community policing begins to gain acceptance by the police, it will reduce crime rate because the public will assist the police in crime fighting by becoming the eye of the police in the community.

References

Bohm, R. and K. N. Haley (2005) Introduction to criminal Justice. 4th edition. New York: Mc-Graw-Hill. Ehindero, S. 0. (2006: 12-13) „The Challenge of Law Enforcement in a Federal Nigeria”. A paper presented at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA) on Law and Justice in Emerging Democracies: The Challenge Before The Legal Profession in Africa. Held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria between 26th August and 1St September, 2006. Haralambos, M. and M. Holborn (2005) Sociology: Themes and perspective. 5th edition. London: Harper Collins. Ibeanu, 0 (2007) “Criminal Justice Reforms: Policing Services Delivery”, in Reforming For Justice, ed. Joseph Chu?ma Otteh, Apapa: Access to Justice. Igbo, E. U. M. (1999) Introduction to Criminology. Nsukka Afro-Orbis Publications Ltd. Iwarimie-Jaja, (2003) Criminology: The Study of Crime. Port Harcourt: SIJ Publishers. Iwarimie-Jaja, D. (2006) “A Democratic Police System For Nigeria” . Nigerian Journal of Criminal Justice Affairs Vol. 1 January 2006 (pp. 16). Kupolati, T. (2007) Remaking the Nigeria Police. 1st edition. Ilupeju: Renaissance Law Publishers. Wrobleski, H. M. and K. M. Hess (2003) Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.7th Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth/Thomson.

Community Policing in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

References

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH