Place of Residence and Public Perception of the Police and Policing in Cross River South Senatorial District, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined public perception on how the place of residence affects public perception of police and policing in Cross River State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey study design, involving the use of qualitative and quantitative methods was adopted. The instrument of data collection was questionnaire which comprised open and closed-ended questions and unstructured oral interview. A simple percentage method of data analysis was employed for the analysis of the research question while the chi-square (x2) statistics tool was employed to test the research hypothesis. The study revealed that public positive views of police and policing relates to place of residence. Based on the discoveries of the enquiry, the following suggestion is proffered: There is urgent need for the Police leadership to adopt proactive communication, positive media coverage, proper implementation of community policing, regular town hall meetings and strict disciplinary measures that could assist to reposition the image of the Nigeria Police and improve police public relation so as to encourage the populace to have confidence in the police. The policy implication of the study is that police service commission should improve on the poor police public interaction via procedural justice.