Abstract
This paper first examines crime situation in Benin metropolis using questionnaire to elicit information from the public and the police. Result shows that crime is on the rise and that the police are handicapped in managing it because of the obsolete methods and resources at their disposal. It also reveals that members of the public have no confidence in the police force as 80% do not report cases for fear of exposure to the informant to the criminal. In the light of these situations, the second part of the paper looks at the possibility of utilizing GIS for effective management of crime in Nigeria. This option was explored by showing the procedural method of creating 1) digital landuse map showing the crime locations, 2) crime geo-spatial database, and 3) spatial analysis such as query and buffering using ILWIS and ArcGIS software and GPS. The result of buffering analysis shows crime hotspots, areas deficient in security outfit, areas of overlap and areas requiring constant police patrol. The study proves that GIS can give a better synoptic perspective to crime study, analysis, mapping, proactive decision making and prevention of crime. It however suggests that migrating from traditional method of crime management to GIS demands capacity building in the area of personnel, laboratory and facilities backed up with policy statement.
Highlights
Crime is an act, default or conduct, prejudicial to the community, the commission which, by law, renders the person responsible to punishment by a fine, imprisonment or other penalty [1]
Our study reveals that cultism, robbery and rape are dominant in most areas in Benin metropolis
The study has attempted to operationalize the application and utilization of geographical information system in crime management and in security situation analysis for efficient community policing in Nigeria, using Benin as case study
Summary
Default or conduct, prejudicial to the community, the commission which, by law, renders the person responsible to punishment by a fine, imprisonment or other penalty [1]. The scenario of crime in Nigeria disregards class distinction in the society, as both high (haves), and low (have nots), experienced similar and equal visitation of the hoodlums from time to time. Worse still is the fact that the law enforcement agencies are yet to be computerized for effective record keeping, analysis of cases, easy reference cum retrieval and storage of information to help strategize and adequately plan the combating and eradication of crimes in general. Availability and quick access to timely and up-to-date spatial information about crime-prone areas, to the law enforcement agencies, will in no small way contribute to effective policing of the entire state. The old filing system of record-keeping is still in use. This limits the force from having the technological edge over the ever increasing technology sophistication of the criminals
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