The Police and Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Property Crime Detection and Control in Abuja Municipal Area Council
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
This study has both the general and the specific objectives. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the extent to which the Police in FCT, Abuja AMAC have utilized ICT in the detection and control of property crimes. The specific objectives are:
- To evaluate the extent to which the Police in FCT, Abuja AMAC have utilized ICT tools in the detection and management of information regarding reported property crimes.
- To identify ICT gadgets which the Police in FCT, Abuja AMAC employ in the detection and control of property crimes which will be used to reduce crime in AMAC.
- To examine the impacts of Information and Communication Technology on police dutyand public-police relations as regards to incidences of property crimes in FCT, Abuja AMAC 4 to ascertain the prevailing social structural forces which militate against the effective utilization of ICT by FCT AMAC Police force.
- To proffer effective measures that would enhance the effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among the police officers in FCT AMAC.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Issues
This section provides information on the conceptual clarifications of some selected variables associated with this study. It looks at the assessment of literatures in connection to this topic. Hence, this section emphasizes on these few sub-topics: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Security Gadgets, ICT and the current global crime trends, impacts of Information and Communication Technology in policing, social factors inhibiting police effective utilization of ICT in Crime detection and control.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Security Gadgets.
The concept of information and communication technology has been viewed differently based on different scholars’ approach and understanding of the concept. According to Riley (2012), a good way to think of ICT is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals and businesses and organizations use information. Hence, ICT is concerned with the storage, retrieval, manipulation, transmission or receipt of digital data. In this direction, there are various ICT gadgets/channels which people and groups manipulate to achieve their interest such as the mobile phones, the internet, digital cameras, iPods, etc. In similar hand, Khajehnoori (2010) asserted that there are meaningful objects: computers, the Internet and its services (chat, email, web), mobile phones and its capabilities (Bluetooth, infrared, SMS), that are used to store and transfer information, knowledge, emotions, love and hate and all other elements, including cultural institutions, values, norms and beliefs.
To Kumar (2012), ICT is an umbrella that includes any electronic tool or communication device comprising radio, television, cellular phones, video camera, calculator, computer network, hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications that are linked with them, such as video conferencing, online lectures and distance learning. Information and communication technology gadgets in terms of security refer to the technological tools invented for the purpose of crime detection and control. Thus, there has been lots of technological advancement globally in information technology regarding the information tools and gadgets in security information management. Most scholars have noted some of these gadgets in the following dimensions:
Criminal Investigation Record System: Newly available record systems designed to aid in criminal investigations extract relevant data from disparate record systems with the intent to match suspects to crimes in ways that otherwise would have never been identified. Partial names, monikers, physical descriptions, and vehicle descriptions are but some of the information that these systems pull out from other participating records systems to identify suspects (Oyeobu, 2010).
Graffiti Cameras: Systems exist today that can take photographs of suspects who are vandalizing property and even notify law enforcement agencies that vandalism is in progress. There are also “talking” surveillance cameras warning intruders that it is illegal to spray graffiti, commanding the intruders to leave the area and informing them that their photographs have been taken for prosecution. These cameras can also be used to monitor illegal dumping areas as well as to prevent loitering and deter other crimes (Oyeobu, 2010).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Design of the Study
The cross-sectional survey method of research was adopted for this study. This method of research collects data to make inferences about a population of interest (the universe) at a given point in time. This involves the use of both probability and non – probability techniques for data collection. This study because it has the capacity to adequately and accurately gathers information from a sample in order to generalize the findings to the entire population.
Area of the Study / Study Organization
The area for this study, Abuja municipal area council in the federal capital territory (FCT of Nigeria, it has an area of 8,000 square kilometres, lies within latitude 9°1°7”N and longitude 7°37″E. (MFCT, 2003; MFCTA 2007). Abuja is located in the geographical centre of Nigeria and surrounded by neighbouring state such as Kaduna state in the north, Niger state at the west, Nassarawa state at the East and Kogi state at the south. Abuja is divided into two senatorial zones, 6 Area councils and have 62 political wards. It is multi—cultural society made up with people of diverse profession and social economic status. Municipal Area Council has wards namely; city centre, Garki, Kabusa, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Jiwa, Gui, Karshi, Orozo, Karu, Nyanya and Gwagwa (MFCTA 2007).
It is largely inhabited by the Gbagyi people. Other groups’ include Bassas, Gades, Gwandaras, Koros, Ganaganas, etc (Ajayi, 2014). However, as the capital of Nigeria, Abuja has turned to a cosmopolitan city with people and Representations from other ethnic groups in Nigeria such as the lgbos, Yorubas’, Hausas and other ethnic groups including Africans and non-Africans who are engaged in government services, hospitality services, commercial and other business activities.
The cosmopolitan nature of the city has brought about the regular influx of large numbers of immigrants from different cultures and socio – economic backgrounds with its attendant effects my crime control measures in the city. Presently the F.C.T is confronting with crime challenges as the result of this growing population especially a worrying situation of property crime and terrorism (Chukwuma 2015).
However, the primary organization of this study is the formal Police force in Abuja. It has Police area commands located in six area council of Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja police command has seven 7 administrative departments at the command level. Finance and administration, operations, logistics and supply, investigation, training, research and planning, information and communication departments respectively. At the divisional levels, the Police structure consists of administrative unit, crime branch unit, traffic section unit, surveillance unit, juvenile welfare/human right desk unit, counter/beat unit and patrol/guard unit.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population of Abuja the federal capital territory as at 2006 National census was 1,406,239. (National population commission, 2014). The target population for this study includes: the categories of 18 years and above. These include members of the National Union of cyber café operators, residents of the selected communities, Police Community Relation Committee (P.C.R.C), internet provider workers, private guard organizational personnel and police officers. This choice was because; these categories of individuals have greater knowledge of the police force, ICT and mostly have interactions with them in one way or the other.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter presents analysis and interpretation of data gathered from the field study by the researcher. The results are presented in two sections; section one is the analysis of the demographic characteristics of the respondents, section two is the analysis of the substantive issues of the study.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
With the growing trend of ICT utilization in all spheres of social life, the application of ICT in security management becomes a paramount interest to the researcher. The researcher made use of data from both quantitative and qualitative sources to gather the data for this study which were used to answer the research questions for this study. The introduction of ICT in policing has brought a lot of advancement as well as challenges in the duty of police officers as agents of crime control. The utilization of ICT by police officers in Abuja Municipal Area Council with regards to the detection and control of property crimes has not been significant. There is disparity in the usage of ICT gadgets by police officers based on ranks. While higher ranking police officers tend to have access to ICT knowledge and skills, lower ranking officers are disadvantaged in ICT knowledge and skills.
There were a number of challenges faced by the Abuja Municipal Area Council police force in the utilization of ICT in property crimes detection and control, which are associated with both personal attributes of the police officers such as level of education, perceived usefulness of ICT and structural arrangements in the police force. As such, the Police in Abuja Municipal Area Council have not effectively utilized the more complex technological gadgets available for security in their duty. The most frequently used ICT gadgets among the police officers were mobile phones and desktop computers. Despite this, majority of the police officers especially low ranking officers, do not know the appropriate usage of such ICT gadgets in property crimes detection and control.
Irrespective of the short comings associated with the use of ICT among Police officers, Information and Communication Technology, according to 49.6% of the police officers who participated in this study, has had a positive impact on police duty and has led to improved communication among police officers and members of the public. The members of the public also agreed that ICT has the potential to change the structure of the police force when it is well utilized.
There are many prevailing socio-cultural factors which affect the effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among police officers. Such factors also associated with both personal qualities of police officers and structural arrangements of the police force.
However, ICT has the potential to make positive changes in the police duty and structure of positive measures which were found in this study are put in place into the Federal Capital Territory police force.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher therefor concludes that ICT is veritable tool in the hand of police officers in the 21st century especially with regards to the detection and control of property crime. However, certain personal and structural factors have combined to hinder the effective utilization of ICT in the Federal Capital Territory police force; thereby causing a low skill and knowledge in ICT based skills, poor perception of the potentials of ICT in crime investigation and non-utilization of more complex ICT gadgets among police officers.
All things being equal and good measures put in place, there will be positive changes in the police attitude and approach to the utilization of ICT in property crimes detection and control in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
RECOMMENDATIONS
From the foregoing, this study adduces that ICT is a very important tool for security, crime detection and control with respect to property in this modern time especially within the Police forces in Nigeria and requires a lot to achieve its maximum utilization. This study therefore recommends the following:
- There is the need that every Police Officer is provided with a computer as a first step towards achieving the information policy and ensuring crime control.
- In line with recommendation 1 above, the Police Commission should encourage training and re-training of Police Officers so as to update their knowledge and skills in information technology resources and ways to combat crime using complex technologies especially with regards to property crimes.
- There is also the need to put emphasis on educational qualification prior to recruitment of police officers. Police officers with low academic qualifications should not be recruited into the police force. This is because; the study found that police officers with low educational qualification have less possibility of improvement in ICT skills and knowledge.
- In view of the above recommendation, basic ICT skills should be made compulsory criteria for selection and recruitment of personnel into the Nigerian Police force.
- There is also a serious need to recruit ICT experts into the police force to enhance maintenance and proper management of police databases.
- There is also the need to identify the important ICT needs within the police force in terms of equipment and infrastructures; the obsolete ICT gadgets should be replaced with new ones. This could be achieved by the federal government establishment of police ICT trust fund to enhance consistency and continuity in the provision of the necessary police ICT supports. This is based on considering the fact that in the present trend of global Information and Communications Technology, electronic policing requires availability of information resources and technological supports to perform effectively.
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