THE IMPACT OF CRIME WAVE IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The situation cannot be tolerated in which our country continues to be engulfed by the crime wave, which includes murder, crimes against women and children child trafficking, drug trafficking, armed robbery, fraud and theft.  We must take the war to the criminals and no longer allow the situation in which we are mere sitting ducks of those in our society who, for whatever reason, are bent to engage in criminal and anti-social activities.  Instructions have therefore already gone out to the minister of safety and security, the National Commissioner of the Police Service and the Security Organs as a whole to take all necessary measures to bring down the levels of crime.  (President N. R. Mandela, 17 Feb. 1995 Cape Town).

Part of the response to the President’s speech was the development of the SAPS 1995 ‘Community Safety Plan’, a package of short-term policing measures aimed at tackling the priority of crimes in the country.  In May 1995, an inter-departmental strategy team, composed largely of civilian officials, began the process of drafting a long-term crime prevention strategy, which would become known as the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).  The intention was that the long-term strategy would tackle the root causes of crime, in parallel to the police’s community safety plan, which would deliver more effective responses to crimes, which had already been committed or planned.  This bifurcation is essential to an understanding of the shift in government crime prevention policy in the five years since the NCPS was adopted.  At that time, the tough, crime combating approach was contained in the community safety plan (and later the various police plans), and the planning and implementation processes for those were entirely cabinet has asked us to design the process which will eventually culminate in a comprehensive and holistic National Crime Prevention Strategy.  The NCPS, which eventually emerges should be owned by the broadcast possible cross-section of South Africa’s population, and should go beyond a mere police response to crime.  In considering the process, which should be followed, this committee should bear in mind the complexity of the causes of crime and therefore pay proper attention to political, social and economic causes and manifestations of crime.  If this committee succeeds with its task, the NCPS could result in answers to the question.  What is crime prevention all about?  It could result in a recognized and coordinated government response to crime, and in a greater role for civil society and communities in the prevention of crime.  (Mufamadi, May 1995).

GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The notion that the crime rate in a country is affected by the state of its economy has a common sense appeal to most individuals.  This belief would especially apply to the Nigeria where theoretically our free-market economy, with its relatively low-funded social programs compared to other western democracies, leaves the underprivileged more at the mercy of changing market forces.  According to this instinct ional approach and most of the “economic” models of criminology, a flagging economy leads to more joblessness, less money for charity and “safety net” programs, and greater difficulty for individuals trying to find or maintain income to sustain the basic needs of their families.  As a result, those individuals will more likely turn to criminal activity as a means of income for these basic needs, since the benefit of lawful activity no longer outweighs the risks of criminal activity (these risks, such as injury at the hands of a potential victim, incarceration, social and familial pressures against crime, etc. are viewed as the “costs” of criminal activity in the economic models).

From the perspective of the Department of Public Advocacy, increase crime caused by a bad economy presumably committed inordinately by the economically disadvantaged, could have a significant impact on our individual and agency – wide caseloads.  The current economic downturn has shown some signs of recovery, but the economic situation is not flying high like it was two years ago.  Even if the situation merely stagnates, there is still cause for concern since any local, state, or national bumps in the economy usually hit the poor first and hardest.

Despite this common sense reasoning, there is substantial debate among economists regarding the link between crime and the economy.  The parties to the debate are usually divided and labeled into two familiar camps.  Specifically, “conservative” economists minimize the link between economy and crime, arguing that committing a crime is more an individual choice or flaw, while “liberal” economists emphasize the role of institutions, family structure and societal forces in the commission of crimes.  Despite this debate, the majority of recent scholarly analysis has found that crime rates are directly related to the economy.  The articles offer varying degree of certainty on this point and even disagree about whether the relationship to economic factors only exists for property crimes (and not for violent crimes) or for all crimes.  The two main relevant areas of analysis drawn from the research are (1) wages and unemployment generally and (2) the 1990s economic “boom” and crime “bust” and what both can tell us about the crime/economy connection.  Each segment with the two categories will focus on a specific scholarly writing on crime and the economy.

  PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER

The primary factor to be considered in the health of any free market economy is employment.  Even if the top corporations in the Nigeria were experiencing huge profits or the world was in a state of virtual peace, such gains would matter little to most Nigerians if they are severely underpaid or could not even find a job.  Economists have performed extensive research into how our society is affected by meaningful employment and its absence.  They have combined their efforts with those of criminologists to explore how fluctuations in the state of joblessness will impact the crime rate (or vice versa).  Some of their findings are discussed below.

 PROBLEM(S) THAT THE STUDY WILL BE CONCERNED WITH

There are many problems that the study will be concerned with.

Some of which can be explained below:

(i)                             To identify provincial crime prevention priorities.

(ii)                           To identify provincial role-players for possible crime prevention programmes.

(iii)                         To identify location and responsibility for provincial programmes.

(iv)                         To establish provincial co-ordination teams for crime prevention programmes.

(v)                           To involve all government department and civil society organizations in crime.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THE SUBJECT AREA.

(1)               The study will bring to the light NCPS into the society and organization.

The NCPS will progress or can make control in combating crime.

(2)               The Government itself with this study knows the importance of the role of NCPS in any society.  And how efficient training can increase the rate of combating crime.

Other societies will benefit from it and help them to carry out their duties by giving the information.

(3)               This study will serve as an impact to a further crime control

And besides, it will reverse other areas of crime.

DEFINITION OF IMPORTANCE OF TERMS

(1) NCPS:       National Crime Preventions Strategy

(2) Crime:        Is an offence against the nation’s Law and Regulation and the breaching goes with a punishment by the authority.  It is an offence against the Law and humanity.  It’s also an offence committed by individual or anybody.

(3) Punishment:           The reward for any person that commits this offence.