Regional Security Crime Management Strategies and Public Safety in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined regional security crime management strategies and public safety in South-East Nigeria, with particular emphasis on criminal profiling and the arrest of offenders by regional security outfits. Corresponding null hypotheses were formulated and tested. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study was conducted across the five states of South-East Nigeria  using a multi-stage sampling technique to select 616 respondents drawn from security personnel, community vigilante members, traditional rulers, local government security committee members, and adult residents. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire validated through a pilot study, with reliability established using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship between regional security criminal profiling and public safety (r = 0.926, p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the first null hypothesis. Similarly, the study found that the arrest of offenders by regional security outfits had a significant positive relationship with public safety (r = 0.908, p < 0.05), resulting in the rejection of the second null hypothesis. The study concludes that effective regional security crime management strategies are essential for enhancing public safety in South-East Nigeria. It recommends the adoption of intelligence-led criminal profiling and the strict observance of legal and constitutional procedures in the arrest of offenders to strengthen public confidence and improve security outcomes.