Police and Crime Prevention in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Benefits

The primary role of the Police globally is crime prevention. However, in discharging this onerous responsibility, it is known to have come up against myriad problems, such as poor welfare, inadequate logistics, corruption, lack of public trust, interagency rivalry, etc., which tend to impede its effectiveness and efficiency. This study aims to interrogate the issues, challenges and benefits if any, that accrue from crime prevention. The study utlilised a desktop approach to conduct content analysis of published and unpublished works relevant to its objectives, and argued that the Police effectiveness and efficiency is further undermined by increased crime rate in the society; noting that an alternative mechanism such as job creation, improved education system and provision of basic social amenities was imperative. It concludes that adopting a proactive approach to crime prevention by providing basic livelihoods, outweighs spending on criminal justice administration or system.