Digital policing technologies and democratic policing

Abstract

The police are expected to perform functions critical to relations between the government and citizens in democratic societies. However, in Nigeria, the reality is that the police organisation suffers limitations that undermine effective and democratic policing. Although the Nigeria Police Force has a long and chequered history, its services are dogged by challenges including adversarial police–citizen relations and mutual suspicion and police misconduct. To address these problems and enhance policing, the Nigeria Police Force has deployed digital technologies through a Complaint Response Unit [later renamed the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU)]. The PCRRU allows the public to connect with the police through dedicated phone numbers for calls and SMS, and a round-the-clock presence on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Blackberry Messenger and a mobile application. Although this initiative often draws attention and commendation, it also raises doubts about sustenance and utility value. Drawing on David Easton’s input–output nexus as a theoretical underpinning on the one hand, and data sourced through expert opinion interviews and web measurement on the other hand, this article investigates how these digital policing technologies, through the PCRRU, enhance efforts at mutually rewarding police–citizen relations and police accountability, as requisites of democratic policing, in Nigeria. The findings expand discussion on the dimensions of Nigeria’s police–citizen relations and the potentials of technology in promoting positive outcomes. The findings also suggest means through which police managers can optimise technology in ways that aid strategic efforts at improving public security.

Assessing police social media practices through a democratic policing lens

“…It is difficult for police social media users to decide how and when they should engage to ensure a democratic system. Training, therefore, needs to be accessible (Odeyemi and Obiyan, 2018), and representative of local needs given the variance among different communities, which may themselves evolve over time. Yet, the potential for individual officer subjectivity, and discretion over the use of social media in engaging with citizens, does not lend itself well to a democratic system.…”

“…Although these studies point to the need to consider democracy online, to date few have considered the direct links between social media and democratic policing. A study by Odeyemi and Obiyan (2018) examined the use of digital technologies by the Nigerian Police. The researchers studied democratic policing in terms of the relationship between the police and citizens and the extent to which the police were accountable to citizens online.…”

Fortifying Nigeria's Future: A Security Companion Against Insurgency

“…Seeing then that Safety and security are fundamental elements for growth in any nation, and of course mobile applications have played a significant role in promoting safety, particularly Android-based apps (Odeyemi & Obiyan, 2018). This study aims to address the pressing need for improved safety measures in an environment that poses a constant threat to the lives and property of citizens.…”

An Assessment of User Satisfaction with E-Police in Nigeria

“…Over the course of the last decade, the Nigerian Police Force has made investments in the dissemination of information and provision of additional law enforcement services over the internet [6]. Previously, the state of affairs in the police force is a manual desk approach to crime reporting and bureaucratic characteristics of leadership within the force.…”