The Significance of Law Enforcement Agency and Crime Management
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and crime management
- To ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and government
- To ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and crime prevention
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
CRIME PREVENTION AND DETECT
Crime prevention and detection, though so close and interwoven as to be taken as synonyms, one for the other, the two concepts are not the same. It is true that you can prevent the commission of a crime if you detect its anticipatory steps early enough before commission of the crime. However prevention as used under the Police Act refers to situation where crime are discovered and thus prevented before commission16. On the other hand crime detection refers to the investigatory power of the police to discover the commission of crime at any point in time and to be able to identify the personae criminis involved in the commission of the crime. It should be noted however that the two concepts mingles together and operate together in order to their the statutory good envisaged in section 4 of the Police Act. This conclusion is in escapable for you can only prevent a crime if you know of its existence and anticipate it; and you know of the existence of a crime, without being a party to it, if you detect it. Thus prevention of a crime can and is usually preceded by detection of acts to commit a crime. The general duties of the police are listed in Section 4 of the Police Act thus
- the prevention and detection of crime
- the apprehension of offenders
- the preservation of law and order
- the protection of property
- the due enforcement of all laws and regulation with which they are directly charged.
Apart from these general duties for maintenance of law and order, there are other adjunct duties under the Act and other laws and regulations operating in the country. By section 23 of the Police Act the police are empowered to conduct prosecution of crimes, though subject to the power of the Attorney General of the State or Federation ad the case may be. Other provision enlarging or elaborating on the general powers of the police include, power of arrest without warrant in given situations, power to arrest without having warrant in possession, power to serve summons, general powers to search and detain suspects and power to take and record for purposes of identification and measurements, photographs and finger prints impression of all persons in lawful custody The police are also empowered under the Criminal Procedure Act/Code to arrest without warrant, to arrest to prevent the commission of crimes and to interpose to prevent offences. There are police powers of arrest, search etc under other Acts and various legislations for example the Firearm Act and Regulations, Children and Young Peoples Act etc
CRIME MANAGEMENT
Crime management and information technology has always been linked together particularly in this computer age. The con artist who uses telephone in financial scam, the robber who uses computer to steal; the hackers who hack into peoples account all of these employ at least rudimentary forms of Information Technology (IT) in the crimes they commit. Information Technology can be employed by both crime fighters and Law breakers.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to the significant of law enforcement agency and crime management
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the significant of law enforcement agency and crime management. 200 staff of Nigeria police force, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on the significant of law enforcement agency and crime management. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of law enforcement agency and crime management
Summary
This study was on the significant of law enforcement agency and crime management. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and crime management, to ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and government, to ascertain the relationship between law enforcement agency and crime prevention. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected Nigeria police force, Uyo. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up police superintendents, police constable, senior officers and junior officers was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The importance of law and order in the society cannot be overemphasized and the place of how enforcement in the scheme of things remains paramount. The proceeding discourse highlighted the important role of the police and the community in the drive towards crime prevention in the society. It is submitted that the police can reduce crime rate through early detection and prevention of crime before its commission and thereby save time and resources expended on prosecution of offences
Recommendation
The paper in all postulates that the task of crime prevention is not exclusive to the police but that members of the public must be vigorously involved to make a success of the exercise
References
- Aguda, A.A. Okagbue, I. Principles of Criminal Liability in Nigeria 2nded. Heinemann Educational Books Nig., 1990.
- Chukkol, K.S., The Law of Crimes in Nigeria. A.B.U. Press Zaria,1988.Dambazau, A.B., Criminology and Criminal Justice. Spectrum Book Ltd, Ibadan, 2007.
- Ehindero, S.G., The Nigerian Police and Human Rights, EhinderoPress, Jos, 1988.Gerber, S.B., et al Criminal Investigation and Interrogation Cincinnati,1962.
- Ladan, M.T., Criminal Prevention and Control and Human Rights inNigeria. A.B.U. Press, 2008
- Okaare, E., Nigeria Agenda for a Modern Police Force. New ConceptMedia Ltd. Lagos, 1991.
- Okonkwo, C.O., The Police and the Police in Nigeria, Sweet andMaxwell, London, 1966.
- Olewe, B.N. and Arya, J.S., Command Administration: The PolicePerspective. New general Books Lagos, 1991. 140
- Olurode, L., The Law and Order Question in Nigeria. Nigeria lawPublications Ltd Lagos, 1991.
- Palmer, S., The Prevention of Crime. Behavioral Publications NewYork, 1973.
- Stephen, A., General View of the Criminal Law of England, Sweetand Maxwell. London, 1998 Cesear Lombrosso (876): The criminal man, journal of research on crime and delinquency vol. 7 No 1 [2]