THE POLICE AND THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN PROPERTY CRIME DETECTION AND CONTROL
ABSTRACT
This study examined the impact of Inon and Communication Technology (ICT) in detection and control of property crimes. One of the basic functions of every government is the protection of lives and properties. Hence, it is the sole responsibility of the formal police structures to see to this objective and the problem of crime has become acute that the police force as a government apparatus has no choice other than to employ the use of technologies to curb crime. This study was positioned to evaluate the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in property crimes detection and controls by the police in Abuja Municipal Area Council. The sample size for the study comprised of four hundred (400) respondents cutting across two hundred (200) members of the police force and two hundred members of the public. The sampling technique for the study was the multistage sampling technique. The structured questionnaire and in-depth interview (IDI) served as the instruments of data collection. The findings from the study therefore revealed that the utilization of ICT by the police in property crimes detection and control has been significantly felt within the Abuja Municipal Area Council. The study therefore recommends proactive strategies to effect a change in the attitude of police and police organisational structure to accommodate ICT in their schemes.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page - - - - - - - - - - - i
Declaration- - - - - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii
Dedication- - - - - - - - - - - iv
Acknowledgements- - - - - - - - - v
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - vi
Table of Content - - - - - - - - - - vii-viii
CHAPTER ONE
1.1. Background to the study - - - - - - - - 1-5
1.2. Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - 5-9
1.3. Research Questions - - - - - - - - - 9-10
1.4. Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - - - 10-11
1.5. Significance of the Study- - - - - - - 11-12
CHAPTER TWO
2.1. Conceptual Issues- - - - - - - - - 13-29
2.2 Review of Empirical Literatures - - - - - 29-33
2.3 Review of Theories - - - - - - - - 33-37
2.4. Theoretical Frame Work- - - - - - - 37
2.5. Basic Assumptions - - - - - - - - 37-41
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Design of the Study - - - - - - - - 42
3.2 Area of the Study/Study Organization - - - - - 42-43
3.3 Population of the Study- - - - - - - - 43-44
3.4 Sample Size - - - - - - - - - 44-45
3.5 Sampling Technique - - - - - - - - 45-46
3.6 Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - 46-47
3.7 Administration of Instruments- - - - - - - 47-48
3.8 Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - - 48-49
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Questionnaire Response Rate - - - - - - - 49-54
4.2 Extent of ICT Usage by the Police - - - - - - 54-73
4.3 Discussion of Major Findings - - - - - - - 73-78
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Summary of Findings - - - - - - - 79-80
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - 80-81
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - 81-82
Reference - - - - - - - - - - 83-89
Appendix A - - - - - - - - - 90-97
Appendix B - - - - - - - - - 98-103
Appendix C - - - - - - - - - 104-105
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
One of the basic functions of every government is the protection of lives and properties. Without this priority, the hope of today and the future living would not be guaranteed. Hence, it is the sole responsibility of the formal Police structures to see to this objective. In a developing democracy, the police force plays a creative role that no other agency of government is so critically able to assume. Thus the nature of the police force represents the character of the state (Alemika, 2010). These roles are summarized by Martin as cited in Alemika and Chukwuma (2003, p.2):
Police work involves a variety of tasks and responsibilities. Officers are expected to prevent crime, protect life and property, enforce the laws, maintain peace and public order and provide a wide range of services to citizens such as maintaining peaceful co-existence among communities. A common trend unifying these diverse activities however, are that potential for violence and the need and right to use coercive means in order to establish social control. Understanding that the police act as the representatives of the coercive potential of the state and the legitimate users of force help explain a number of their attitudes and characteristics( Alemika, Chukwuma, 2003) .
In the face of globalizing and advancing technological world of 21st century, the trend of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has come to be a major issue of discourse among many people especially scholars within various disciplines. There has been increased expectations that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) would facilitate ease in various activities of human beings of which, the security of lives and property is not exemption. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is concerned with the storage, retrieval, manipulation, transmission or receipt of digital data. This in no small measure has to do with the sharing of information through the internet (Amit, Adebayo, Abdullahi and Mabayoje, 2012). In this direction, there are various ICT gadgets and channels which people and groups manipulate to achieve their interests such as the mobile phones, the internet, Digital Cameras, iPods, etc. 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, businesses and organizations access information. The most crucial aspect of Information and Communication Technology is the use of the Internet which has to do with wireless communications to the World Wide Web (Amit, et al, 2012). Also, Information and Communication Technology in terms of policing has to do with the digital tools and methods of detecting criminal activities especially with regards to property crimes such as digital burglar alarm systems, finger print detectors, closed circuit televisions, car plate number identifying systems etc. (Oyebo, 2010).
According to Russell (2007), ICT has facilitated the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, adjudication and punishment of crime. Examples include the use of encryptionto ensure that data are held securely, neural networks to detect financial crime, biometric systems to identify suspects, hard drive imaging to secure data from alteration or destruction, sharing of data held in official data bases to identify suspects and risks, electronic courtrooms to present evidence clearly, and electronic monitoring of offenders to enhance surveillance during periods of home detention. In most developed economies like USA, Canada, Japan and England etc, surveillance cameras are used to capture people or criminal activities without their knowledge. Also, the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in banks, airports, hotels, supermarkets etc. seems to have discouraged theft and other criminal activities and has also eased or curtailed security threat (Ikhazuagbe and Sule, 2012).
The use of Information and Communication Technology in policing has been evident in the detection and control of property crimes which is one of the most committed crimes in every society. Home invasions, property vandalism, auto theft, shoplifting and other types of property crimes in the technologically advanced world, require systematic and technologically enhanced alternatives to the manual methods of detecting crime perpetrators. This is because; criminals have utilized the advantage of Information and Communication Technology to perpetrate crimes. They use communication systems such as mobile phones to interact and communicate with each other; hack through peoples' credit cards and bank accounts to steal money. According to Russell as reported in (2013), more and more criminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity that modern technologies offer in order to commit a diverse range of criminal activities. The situation becomes more problematic when the police lack the basic ICT knowledge required to detect such criminals.
Property crimes typically refer to the criminal offenses of burglary, larceny, fraud, embezzlement, forgery, motor vehicle theft, and arson (Inciardi, 2005); other less known property cr
