AN ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL SECURITY CRIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Regional security, crime management, security intelligence and community engagementAbstract
This study assessed regional security crime management strategies and public safety in South-East Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of regional security intelligence-led policing on public safety and examined the relationship between regional security community engagement efforts and public safety. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted across the five states of South-East Nigeria: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire whose reliability was established through a pilot study, yielding a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.70. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that intelligence-led policing had a strong and statistically significant influence on public safety. Similarly, community engagement demonstrated a strong and significant positive relationship with public safety. The study concluded that intelligence-driven policing and effective community engagement are critical determinants of improved public safety in South-East Nigeria. The study recommends the establishment of dedicated intelligence units to strengthen intelligence gathering and analysis, as well as the institutionalisation of structured community engagement programmes through regular town hall meetings, security forums, and stakeholder consultations to enhance collaboration between security agencies and local communities.
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