Police and Public: The Role of Public Perception of the Police on Crime Control in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the role of public perception of the police on crime control in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with 386 respondents from the urban area. The results showed a low negative relationship between public perception of the police and crime control, with a regression coefficient of r = -.016. A unit increase in negative public perception of the police led to a 1.6% decrease in crime control. However, a significant relationship was found between public perception of the police and crime control, with a Beta = 0.16 and p-value (sig =.023) less than the 0.05 level of significance. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to compare the relationship between procedural justice, public perception of the police, and crime control in Abakaliki metropolis. The correlation coefficient showed a negative relationship between public perception and crime control, with a unit increase in negative public perception leading to a 1.6% decrease in crime control. In the second model, public perception of the police had a negative relationship with crime control, with a regression coefficient of -0.17. Procedural justice made more significant contributions to the model than public perception, with a Beta value of -.019. The null hypothesis of no significant relationship was rejected, indicating a significant relationship between procedural justice, public perception of the police, and crime control in Abakaliki metropolis, with procedural justice making the largest contribution.