A paper presented at a seminar of the Institute of Criminology and Penology Nigeria, Owerri, Imo State, September 27, 2024
Protocols (as established)
Greetings
I bring you greetings from the OFO Educational Foundation. OFO stands for Organizing For Opportunities.” It is a foundation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, designed to advocate for opportunities for our young people in all sectors of the economy, including public service, and to help provide the skills and knowledge necessary to take advantage of those opportunities.
We at the foundation are particularly interested in opportunities in the security agencies and we are uniquely positioned to help the security agencies meet their recruitment and federal character goals. You may check us out on www.ofofoundation.org,ng.
Honoring Our Heroes and Heroines.
Every time I appear before security officers, in this case before the Police, I am reminded that the relative peace and security we have in Imo State and Nigeria has been made possible by the gallantry and professionalism of security officers, especially the men and women of the Nigerian Police Force. And so on behalf of a grateful citizenry, I thank you for your service.
Further, I am also reminded that many of your men and women have had to pay the ultimate price in service to country and community. Police Officers sign up for duty knowing that they may lose their lives while on duty, and yet they sign up. There can be no greater love for country and community, and no greater display of patriotism than that choice. Unfortunately, we have lost police officers and other security personnel here in Imo State. In recognition of their sacrifice, may I ask that we all stand for a moment of silence to honour them!
May the souls of our departed compatriots who died on duty and in security operations rest in peace and honor!
The Presentation
I have been asked to speak to you today on the topic of “Crime Prevention and Mitigation Strategies in a Democratic Setting.” I will draw from my experience as the former Commissioner for Homeland Security in Imo State, as well as from my research and my knowledge of the literature in security studies and organizational leadership.
I make certain assumptions in this presentation. First, I assume we all understand what a democratic setting is. I assume that we agree that no matter how imperfect our current system in Nigeria is, it qualifies as a democratic setting. We are not in a military regime. We are not in an authoritarian setting, even if some of our leaders may have authoritarian tendencies. And we are not under a known monarch or in a monarchy.
The second assumption I make is that we have a common understanding of crime: Conduct (or lack of action as the case maybe) that is unlawful or against or in violation of a specific law or specific laws. In other words, law and order is fundamental to the determination of a conduct as crime, through processes outlined also in law. In essence, if the law does not prohibit it, it is not a crime.
Prevention refers to decisions and actions that are designed to forestall criminal conduct to begin with, while mitigation refers to decisions and actions designed to address criminal conduct while it is occurring or after it has occurred.
Defining Strategy
Strategy is a designed, implemented, sustained and periodically evaluated plan or set of plans to accomplish the goals and objectives of an organization (Ugorji, 2020). Strategy provides a road roadmap that consists of an organization’s mission, vision and values. “Strategy concerns the evolution of the basic mission” (Schein, 2017, p.157). It “bridges the gap between ‘where we are’ and ‘where we want to be.’” (MSG, 2023).
The goals of an organization maybe be general in nature. For instance, the Nigerian Police states that its duties, which informs its goals, include “The prevention and detection of crime. The apprehension of offenders. The preservation of law and order. The protection of life and property” (NPF, 2024). Goals are general statements of desired outcomes.
The objectives of an organization however, are different from goals in that the objectives must be realistic, measurable, and with timelines or time limits. One objective in a particular year could be a 25% reduction in reported violent crimes. This is realistic, and it can be measured at the end of twelve months. Another objective in a particular year could be to increase police personnel by 20%. Here again, this is realistic and measurable.
CRIME PREVENTION AND MITIGATION
This writer situates prevention and mitigation of crime in two broad categories known as Hard Power and Soft Power.
Hard Power
Hard power refers to the security formations in a nation, state or community. Hard power is epitomized by the Police, the military, and other para-military outfits with which the nation or state maintains law and order. Hard power is the visible and obvious instruments of coercion used by the state in its duty to protect lives and property.
Security Formations, Training, and Equipment
To prevent and mitigate crimes, security formations have to be formidable. Diligent recruitment and training of professional personnel is paramount. Once relevant, effective and state-of-art training is accomplished, the force must be adequately equipped to function. A well trained and equipped security force will serve both as a deterrent to crime and as an instrument of mitigation during and after the commission of crime.
Welfare of Security Officers and Their Families
There cannot be an overemphasis on proper welfare for security officers and their families. As already stated, security officers sign up to make the ultimate sacrifice if it becomes necessary. The salary and welfare structure for these officers must be such that justifies to an appreciable degree the risks and hazards associated with their work. How a nation treats its security personnel is how the security personnel will treat the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve.
And should the unfortunate occur, where a security agent loses his or her life on duty, the family of the fallen hero must be taken care of to ameliorate the great loss. Life insurance policies for security personnel can help the state manage the cost of taking care of the family of a fallen officer. A highly motivated security force can serve both as a deterrent to crime, as well as an effective mitigation force when and where necessary
Professionalism and Discipline within the Forces
The citizens the Police protect and the political leadership to which the Police reports, must be assured of the professionalism of the security officers and security formations. Intelligence, especially human intelligence (HUMIT) is essential in security work. Intelligence stems from the analysis of information and data (Ugorji, 2018). The citizens need to share information and data about security challenges for security outfits to be effective, because security officers cannot be everywhere at the same time.
These citizens will not corporate readily and willingly with security agencies if they perceive or believe that the security forces are unprofessional or lack discipline. With the appropriate recruitment, training and equipment of security officers, come the expectations of responsibility, professionalism, accountability and internal discipline. A disciplined and professional security force is necessary in crime prevention and mitigation.
Soft Power
Soft power on the other hand is the capacity of the state to co-opt citizens into security and peaceful life, without the coercive elements of state power. While the concepts of soft power are found more in the literature of international relations and diplomacy, they can strategically be applied to security and peace initiatives within a nation or a state.
Education and Skills Acquisition
Nations use the provision of education and skills acquisition in diplomacy to woe allies and establish good international relations. The provision of education and skills acquisition opportunities for the people, especially the huge number of youths, can prevent crime. Education and skills acquisition not only contribute tremendously to the economy of a nation, but it also channels untapped energy away from crime.
Employment Opportunities
Education and skills acquisition are great but they are even more useful to society when those skills and knowledge lead to full employment. A fully employed citizen who makes enough legitimate income to take care of his or her family, is less likely to engage in criminal behavior, knowing that a consequence may be loss of his or her job. In essence, full employment is a preventative tool against crime.
Peace Advocacy and Conflict Resolution
Nations justifiably invest a lot of money in hard power – the training and equipment of security formations. An American bank robber was once asked why he robbed banks. Mr. Willie Sutton reportedly answered “because that’s where the money is” (FBI, 2024). Why is so much attention paid to hard power in security architecture and plans? Because that is where the budgetary allocations for security go.
However, a small investment in peace advocacy groups and conflict resolution trainings will yield a lot of dividends in security and peace. In this writer’s discussions with community leaders and traditional rulers across Imo State, I tell them that the more we can accomplish with soft power, the less we would need hard power, at least in terms of internal security.
WE NEED US TO PROTECT US
I will end this presentation by turning to the concept of community policy. This concept refers to the idea of building a police force that is community-centered, especially a force where police officers come from the immediate communities they serve. Among other things, community policing “aims at ensuring the trust of the public in law enforcement agencies by both strengthening the bond between law enforcement agencies and the communities and building effectiveness within police organizations” (Lemieux, 2010).
As the security challenges in Nigeria become more difficult, state governments in Nigeria must accept that the Federal security agencies can only do so much to provide security and peace. State’s must set up security outfits that by composition, culture and temperament cannot be seen as occupying forces by the locals.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma established the Imo Security Organization (IMSO). The entity was backed by Imo State Law 2 of 2021 passed by the Imo State House of Assembly and signed into law by Uzodimma. Over twelve hundred young men and women were recruited and trained by General Richard Duru, Coordinator of IMSO, under what eventually became the parent Ministry of Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs. IMSO needs to be inaugurated and its officers deployed to do the duties for which they were trained.
References
Federal Bureau of Investigation (2024). Willie Sutton. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous- cases/willie-sutton.
Lemieux, Frederic (2010, p.217). International police cooperation: Emerging issues, theory and practice. London and New York: Routledge.
Management Studies Guide (2023). Strategy: Definition and features. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategy-definition.htm
Nigerian Police Force (2024). History of the Nigerian Police. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategy-definition.htm
Schein, Edgar H. (2017, p.157). Organizational culture and leadership (5th edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Ugorji, Ugorji O. (2020). Securing the homeland: Essays in security leadership, intelligence analysis and crisis management. Willingboro, NJ: Sungai Books.
Ugorji, Ugorji O. (2018). Intelligence: The dynamics between analysis and policy. A paper presented at the George Washington University’s Graduate Homeland Security program, 2018
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ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji was the pioneer and Immediate Past Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs, Imo State. He established Governor Hope Uzodimma’s signature ministry and conceptualized a whole of government approach to security and peace in Imo State.
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, he served as the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Homeland Security and Intelligence. And before that, he served as a public administrator in the United States of America for over twenty five years.
Dr. Ugorji holds a master’s degree in Homeland Security from the George Washington University, Washington, DC. He also earned a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He has a second Master of Arts in Counseling and Personnel Services, a Bachelor of Science in biology, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, all from Trenton State College (now known as The College of New Jersey), in Ewing Township, New Jersey.
