1.1 Introduction
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a generic name used to describe a range of technologies for gathering, storing, retrieving, processing, analyzing, and transmitting information and its use is immense in the field of law both in the enforcement of the laws and the prosecution of the offenders. Community policing forms an integral part of the notion of any human rights-based approach to policing. By working closely with the community to prevent and solve crime, police are in a position to better protect the rights of the community, in particular of vulnerable groups. On the other hand, the community is in a good position to ensure that the police act in a professional and transparent way, and that they respect basic human rights. There are significant benefits to be accrued by connecting the police and communities (Innes & Roberts 2008).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
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 an increased expectation 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).
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).
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).
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 crimes include pick pocketing, counterfeiting and shoplifting (a type of larceny). Since the range of activities included in the property crime definition is vast, the term shouldbe viewed as a representation of offenses that describe material-based criminality in society. In other words, the focus is on crimes against property, not persons. The two leading data collection agencies in the United States are the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The bureau defines index-one property crime as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Index-two offenses include bribery, counterfeiting and forgery, vandalism, embezzlement, extortion, and fraud.
Thus, the importance of ICT in property crime detection and control in the modern technologically enhanced crime society cannot be overemphasized. This is because, major issues like: fast growth of population, rapid process of urbanization, increasing disparities between the rich and poor, illiteracy, human rights abuses, armed robbery, Right to information, natural and unnatural calamities, human trafficking, corruption in public life, cybercrime, terrorism are issues which have increased the pressure on the police. Therefore, with ICT, the police should be able to detect crime scenes, relate with the public in terms of crime reporting and maintain accurate crime statistics. Also, because the police officials are bound to face increasing heavy pressure from all the stakeholders, not only from the public and media for detection, investigation and prevention of crimes but also from its employees, for the efficient working and service conditions; ICT is therefore, the best solution for enhancing effectiveness in the police duty (Kumar, 2012).
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).
ICT improves effectiveness and efficiency, capacity to store and process large volumes of data. It also improves intelligence and investigative capabilities and makes ready access to criminal records and other kinds of relevant data (Kumar, 2012). Also, Information and Communication Technology helps to render the police officers accountable through documentation and control of actions, provide a sense of security through connecting to control rooms and colleagues, support officers with awareness of current state of affairs, such as other incidents, the active queue of incidents and remote access to police databases as they innovate police operations (Bouwman, 2008; Sorensen and Pica, 2005). However, crime detection and control may be difficult in situations where the police are faced with difficulties that may either arise from police organizational structure, level of public readiness to report crime cases as a result of public distrust in the police, lack of police willingness to change strategies to the changing dimensions of crime, low level of education to manipulate computer systems, lack of governmental support to the provision of basic ICT requirements, ethnic differences among police officers and struggle for authority. Also, in a political system whereby the police exist to protect the interest of the ruling class, the possibility of adequately protecting the masses through Information systems is scarce.
Information is the key word in property crime detection and control. How the police access information and manage it go a long way to determining the level of efficiency they are likely to achieve in their roles as security agents. Thus, ICT becomes the best tool for the formal police organization to achieve this efficiency in property crime detection and control (Home Office, n.d).
It is against this background that this study seeks to evaluate the extent to which the F.C.T police Force has employed these new information technological tools in the detection and control of property crime in Abuja Municipal Area Council.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the trend in the level and tactics of crime globally is rapidly changing especially in Nigeria. These changes pose a great deal of threat to the general society and challenge to the existing modus operandi of the police force all over the world. There is often increasing rate of cybercrimes, property crimes, criminals tend to communicate easily via mobile phones, hack through bank accounts and perpetrate crimes without being detected (Gallangher, 2012).
Day by day, incidents of property crimes are being reported to the police; many are not even reported due to the inability of the police to respond effectively to the reported ones. In F.CT, property vandalism especially public properties like petroleum pipe lines, school properties, shoplifting and burglary are some of the property crimes experienced by members of the public. People feel there is no need to report such cases of property theft when there are little or no chances at all of police response to the reported cases (Johnson, 2012).
In this Information Technology age, what the police require is the ability to use digital security systems to detect perpetrators of a reported crime. Biometric systems can help to detect the finger prints of those who are suspected to have been in the crime scene at the time a crimes was committed. Burglar alarm systems can also alert the police of forceful and unauthorized entry into private and public properties when they are synchronized with police ICT control database, surveillance cameras can capture crime scenes without the notice of criminals and mobile phones can facilitate fast public reporting of incidents of crime etc. (Oyebo, 2010).
The inadequacies and reluctance of the police force to change strategy in security have been attributed to the numerous factors affecting the performance of the police force in Nigeria; these include: inadequate qualified manpower, lack of expertise, lack of adequate equipment, low level of education, low morale, inadequacy of training facilities and lack of technological knowhow (Falaye et al, 2013).
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to evaluate the extent to which the Police in FCT, Abuja AMAC have utilized ICT in crime prevention, detection and control. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine the extent to which the Police in FCT AMAC employed ICT tools in the detection and management of information regarding reported property crimes;
- To determine the impact of Information Technology on police duty and public-police relations as regards to incidences of property crimes in FCT AMAC;
- To determine the prevailing social structural forces militating against the effective utilization of ICT by FCT AMAC Police force in property crime detection and control;
- To ascertain the ICT gadgets that are available for the police in FCT AMAC to detect and control property crimes; and
- To determine the effective measures that can be employed to enhance effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among the police officers in FCT, Abuja AMAC.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- To what extent have the Police in FCT AMAC employed ICT tools in the detection and management of information regarding reported property crimes?
- What ICT gadgets are available for the police in FCT AMAC to detect and control property crimes?
- What impacts does Information Technology have on police duty and public-police relations as regards to incidences of property crimes in FCT AMAC?
- What are the prevailing social structural forces militating against the effective utilization of ICT by FCT AMAC Police force in property crime detection and control?
- What effective measures can be employed to enhance effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among the police officers in FCT, Abuja AMAC?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no effective measures that can be employed to enhance effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among the police officers in FCT, Abuja AMAC.
- H1: There are effective measures that can be employed to enhance effective utilization of ICT in property crime detection and control among the police officers in FCT, Abuja AMAC.
1.7 Significance of Study
The study would be significant both to scholars and policy-makers in the government, among other agents, as it raises issues on the need to improve and further introduce ICT tools in prevention and detention the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. This research work will be of immense benefit to the Nigeria Police Force in particular and to the general public (Nigerians). It will also help the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to know more about their roles, their problems and some suggested solutions to their problems.
Government will also find this research useful as it will help them to know the areas in which they should offer adequate help to the police 80 as to effectively carry out their constitutional roles.
In addition, students and lecturers will also benefit from this research work, as it will help them, in making research about the police. The citizens will also be able to know the importance of supporting the police especially as it concerns giving them information about criminal and criminal hideouts.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Police and Use of Information and Communication Technology in Abuja Municipal Area Council.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Policing: Policing is another way of depicting the police.
Anti-policing: Anti-policing is the society’s social attitude opposed to war between states and in particular countering arguments based on policism.
National Security: The requirement to maintain the survival of the nation-state through the use of economic, policing, and political power and the exercise of diplomacy.
Information Security: Means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording, or destruction.
