CRIMINAL STATISTICS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMINALITY IN NIGERIA (FROM URBAN AND RURAL CRIME AND ITS CONTROL IN WEST AFRICA, 1973 - SEE NCJ-64784)

• NCJ Number: 64790
• Author(s): O OLORUNTIMEHIN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Universite de Montreal, Centre International de Criminologie Comparee; Abidjan Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

STATISTICS ON CRIME IN SENEGAL ARE EXAMINED WITH RESPECT TO CRIME INCIDENCE, TYPES OF OFFENSES, AND TRENDS OVER TIME.

Abstract

DATA SOURCES INCLUDE THE POLICE, THE JUDICIARY, AND THE PENITENTIARIES. REPORTED CRIMES TOTALED 18,109 IN 1972. THE CRIME RATE WAS 2.15 PER 1,000 INHABITANTS IN RURAL AREAS AND 8.5 PER 1,000 INHABITANTS IN URBAN AREAS. A TOTAL OF 3,080 CONVICTIONS WERE RECORDED IN 1972; 6,523 INDIVIDUALS WERE REFERRED TO THE COURTS BY THE POLICE AND THE CONSTABULARY. THOSE IMPRISONED TOTALED 6,265 IN 1972 VERSUS 5,267 IN 1967. ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF THE INDIVIDUALS REFERRED TO THE COURTS WERE WOMEN WHO HAD COMMITTED CRIMES SIMILAR TO THOSE OF MEN. IN BOTH URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY PREDOMINATED, BUT THERE WAS A HIGHER PROPORTION OF VIOLENT CRIMES IN RURAL AREAS. THEFT WAS THE MOST COMMON OFFENSE, AND MISAPPROPRIATIONS OF PUBLIC FUNDS INCREASED IN 1971 AND 1972. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REFERRED TO THE COURTS IN 1972 WERE BETWEEN 26 AND 35 YEARS OF AGE AND MOST HAD COMMITTED CRIME IN THE URBAN CENTERS. ANALYSES OF THE DATA LED TO SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE REIMBURSEMENT, EMPHASIZE SPEED, MORE SEVERELY SANCTION FREQUENT INFRACTIONS, AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CRIMES OF MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS OR BREACH OF LOANS. INDUSTRIALIZATION, URBANIZATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THE CREATION OF NEW NEEDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCREASE IN MODERN CRIME IN AFRICA. SENEGAL'S CRIME SHOWS AN EXTRAORDINARY EMPHASIS ON ALL KINDS OF THEFT. PROPERTY CRIMES ARE RELATED TO THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT FACED BY ALL YOUNG COUNTRIES. MARIJUANA SMOKING IS BEGINNING TO BECOME APPARENT. MODERN CRIME HAS RESULTED BOTH FROM MORAL DEPRAVITY AND FROM THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TRADITIONAL VALUES. IN ORDER TO REDUCE MODERN CRIME, AFRICANS MUST BECOME AWARE OF THIS TRAGIC SITUATION, DEVELOP AN AFRICAN MODEL OF CRIMINOLOGY, EDUCATE THE MASSES, AND TEACH YOUNGER GENERATIONS THE VALUES OF AFRICAN CIVILIZATION. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. FOR THE VOLUME OF WHICH THIS ARTICLE IS A PART, SEE NCJ-64784. (CFW)