ABSTRACT
The global and regional security environment continues to experience dynamic challenges and opportunities that call for new approaches in crime prevention. Most countries in the world including the Commonwealth have shifted to community policing as a policing strategy of the 21st Century and Nigeria is not an exemption. As a country, Nigeria is affected by these developments that have necessitated a paradigm shift in our policing doctrine. The study found out that an effective policing communication strategy must be embraced to provide a framework that allows community members to participate in securing themselves, their properties and national interest. The study further indicates that radio is pivotal in raising awareness of the importance and benefits of community policing because majority of its listeners have knowledge about what entails in community policing and what is constraining the success of the programme. In this perspective the study sought to establish the role Canna City radio plays in crime prevention, to establish the extent of police-community partnership on crime reduction, to assess the extent to which Canna City radio station has sensitized in reduction of youth social disorder and to establish the impact community policing as a crime reduction strategy has impacted on the community livelihood. However, it recommended that further comparative studies should be carried out in other parts of the country and other local radio stations need to be engaged to sensitize citizens on the impact of community policing in order to prevent emerging modern crimes.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Community policing or neighborhood-oriented policing can be defined as a policy with philosohy and oganisational strategy aimed at curbing crime through deliberate involvement of different actors in oder to reduce crime, disorder and the fear of crime (Brogden, 2004).
According to (Mwachidudu and Likaka, 2014), community policing is not a new practice in Nigeria. The study shows that, the practice was initiated in the year 2001 in selected towns in Nigeria like Ojo, Saki, Oyo and Isiolo and since inception positive changes were seen.
While being a good initiative the since the criminals live amongst the people, the vice is still visible as a result of wide spread corruption and mistrust amongst police officers. Despite challenges, the concept is regarded as the main solution in the current contemporary society (FGN, 2024).
Community policing involves full partnership amongst the law enforcing agents, example the police as the lead agents and the entire community in a bid to identify and aleviate crime and disorder (Gimode, 2007).
This model of community partnership with the state security is built on the premise that, citizens deserve and have a right to voice their security concerns and how should be policed in exchange for their involvement and support (FGN, 2024).
According to (Jones, & Newburn, 2002) states that, the police cannot effectively investigate and prevent crime without the willing participation of the public.
Community policing therefore transforms the traditional reactive approach to the new normal which is the new paradigm which calls for people involvement (Thacher, 2001) and further stated that security is vital for the social, political and economic development in the current 21st century.
The police are regarded as the main security stakeholders and as such are deemed to play a pivotal role in creating and promoting the conditions in which development can take place.
However, generally speaking the victims and affected people find it diffiult to openly engage with the law enforcement for fear of victimisation. This fact has occassioned bad blood and sense of hopelessnesss especially amongst the slum dwellers (FGN, 2014).
Furthermore, due to the changing nature of communities and the shifting characteristics of crime and violence that affect these communities, policing strategies that worked in the past are not always effective today. Both the level and nature of crime in the country and the changing character of communities are causing the government to seek more effective methods.
As the law enforcers have fallen victims of the organised crime hence need to a change of tactic. (Ruteere & Marie, 2003, Mwachididi and Lukaka, 2014).
The concept of community policing therefore allows the police and community to work closely together in new ways to solve the problems of crime, physical and social disorder and neighbourhood decay (Forman, 2004).
This philosophy rests on the belief that law-abiding people in the community should contribute to the policing process. It also rests on the belief that solutions to contemporary problems demand freeing both citizens and the police to explore creative, new ways to address neighbourhood concerns beyond a narrow focus on individual incidents of crime (Loader, 2006).
According to (Amir & Einstein, 2001) findings on policing security and democracy revealed that tge success of community policing concep is leveraged by high attributes of uniformed men and women who are professiona, well represented and accountable to the people they serve.
This concept is still evident in the militaty where the soldiers are policed by the miliraty police who are responsible for the planning, organising, controling and leading of their own hence the concept of own watchdong amongst the discplined forces is therefore regarded as a fundamental principle (Herzog, 2002).
However another strand of study by (Adams, Rohe & Arcury, 2002) unearths different finding. It holds that, depite the latent success of the community policing in curbing crime, there is still a gap, too big yet too small between the police and the community.
The gap is due to a misconception of the environment under which operationalisation is effected. One would urgue that, if it was successfull elsewhere then it must be applicable allover. This phenomenon has defied the scientific law of replicability.
The context under which the concept is rolled example environment conditions, working formula and public awareness is unique and its therefore prudent for all stake holders to consider a custom based approach to a unique solution (Wilson, 2013, FGN 2024)
1.1.1 Crime and Crime Reduction in Nigeria
According to the crime data as documemnted by the Nigeria police in the Occurance books (OB) between 2012-2014 findings paints a sigh of relief as far as reports is concerned (FGN, 2014) an indication that crime is on the reducing trend with 69736 cases reported in 2014 against 71832 cases recorded in 2014 implying a reduction by 2456.
However, the reported cases include terrosim, profileration of small arms and light weapons, inequity of resources, organized crimes, drug and substance abuse, community boundary disputes, sosphistication of technology and politics driven by ethnic rivalry see figure 1.1.
The statistics indicated that the recorded offences against morality in 2012 were 4806 while in 2013 they were 4779 while those in 2014 were 5184.
The number of reported cases of other offences against persons in 2012 were 20698, in 2013 they were 19344 while in 2014 they were 19911 an indication of steady decrease.
The statistics further indicated that crime related offences decline from 3262 in 2012 to 3011 in 2014.
The number of breaking offenses reported declined also from 7578 in 2012 to 5656 in 2014.
Finally, cases of stealing were also reportedly on a decline from 2012 to 2014.
The number of stealing cases reported declined from 14111 to 10042 in 2014.
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