Ameh, Sunday Ojonugwa, Gana Chuseh Damian, Geoffrey Nanbal Shipurut

Keywords: Effectiveness, police, crime, combating, victims, remuneration

Abstract

The persistent ineffectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force in combating crime in Wukari Local Government Area, driven by systemic issues such as public distrust, inadequate officer remuneration, and limited victim support, undermines efforts to ensure community safety and crime prevention. The study used a descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design. A sample size of 400 respondents was selected from the total population of 374,800 using the Taro Yamane formula. At the same time, key informant interviews were also conducted with five key informants to complement the data gathered from the questionnaires. Responses from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages. Qualitative data were analyzed while outlining the key point presented by the key informant. The findings of the study revealed that the Nigeria Police Force in Wukari relies heavily on reactive measures like arrest, prosecution, and patrol while neglecting victim protection and proactive strategies, a gap compounded by systemic issues such as a significant public trust deficit and poor officer remuneration, both of which undermine community collaboration and effective crime prevention. The study concludes that arrest, prosecution and patrol emerge as the most prominent approaches use by the police in Wukari; and these methods underscore a law enforcement strategy heavily reliant on reactive measures and visible policing. The study recommends that the Nigeria Police Force should prioritize victim support, adopt community policing initiatives to rebuild trust and improve officer welfare through adequate compensation and incentives to enhance morale and reduce corruption.

Author Biography

Ameh, Sunday Ojonugwa, Gana Chuseh Damian, Geoffrey Nanbal Shipurut

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

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