International experiences of criminal violence and delivery of urban basic services: the case of electricity

Abstract

We investigate the impact of criminal violence on the delivery of an urban basic service, electricity, through a comparison of international experiences. We find that the structure of criminal violence matters more than its level. If the violence is of an unorganized nature, or if local criminal organizations take no interest in electricity theft, service providers may be able to deliver electricity through regulated commercial relationships with local residents, even in areas of high violence. Where criminal organizations seek to profit from electricity theft, regulated commercial delivery of electricity will be extremely limited or impossible, even when those organizations maintain overt violence at low levels. Successful experiences of regulated commercial delivery involve using technology to reduce opportunities for theft as well as practices to improve customer relationships, sometimes supplemented by community engagement. But a necessary condition for success remains physical access to the area by the service provider’s personnel.