EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY POLICING IN THE CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF CRIME

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the effectiveness of community policing in the control and prevention of crime in rural communities in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Four (4) research questions were raised to guide the study. The sample size 60 respondents were used for this study. While, Five (5) respondents will be purposively selected from each of the Twelve (12) wards. The questionnaire was designed and validated by experts in the department of Adult and Non-formal Education, Faculty of Education University of Benin. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques such as tables, frequencies counts, and simple percentages. Findings of the study revealed that socio-cultural factors are responsible for the emergence of community police service groups in Ovia North East are drastic Increase in the rate of crime in the area, lack of presence of police in the crime scene, the Nigeria Police Force ineffectiveness, the police collaboration and betrayal and the community policing groups are more accessible than other security groups. It was further revealed that the roles of community police Service Groups in crime prevention and control in Ovia North East are; deploy methods are strategies employed by the police to destabilize the set plans of the criminals, Raiding of criminal hideouts to apprehend criminals and recover arms and ammunition, arrest and interrogation of suspected criminals, conduct surveillance on building and suspected criminal individuals and Collaboration with the police force in bringing criminal to justice, It was recommended that informal policing structures be adequately equipped through provision of funds, equipment’s and strong enabling laws that would guarantee their independent and unbiased discharge of their security functions. It was further recommended that constant training and retraining of community police service group members would enhance their efficiency on the job. There should be room for regular training to equip them with knowledge on modern ways of fighting crime especially at the community level.