The Involvement of Local Leaders in Community Security in Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River State

Abstract

The study uses crime management perspective to the involvement of local leaders in community security in Obudu local Government Area, Cross River State. Three hundred and seventy nine (379) respondents were randomly selected for the study. Data were collected via questionnaire and in-depth interview. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze quantitative data and qualitative data were reported verbatim. Findings revealed that of all the roles played by local leaders in crime management, reporting suspicious person to the police; raising and mobilizing resources to finance community security programmes were some of the most significant roles. It was further established that major channels which information on crime management reach local leaders were through relatives, associates, audio-visual and print media. However, accessing information on crime management strategies via internet was still at the rudimentary level. More so, crime management was impeded by lack of cooperation by members, illiteracy, inadequate funds, ineffective communication and gender discrimination. It was recommended that government should ensure that, local leaders are incorporated into crime management policies and programmes. The police and other formal agencies of crime management should organize seminars, workshops and training periodically in the rural communities to sensitize local leaders and others on modern strategies of crime management. Finally, the National Communication Commission (NCC) should ensure that more communities have internet connectivity so that vital information on crime management can be easily accessed and disseminated to others via internet facilities.