The Importance of Neighborhood Patrol in Nigeria
The Importance of Neighborhood Patrol in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the presence of gangs and other criminal elements is a major problem. In order to combat this issue, many communities have formed vigilante groups which serve as neighborhood patrols. These patrols are very effective at protecting their communities from crime and violence, but they can also be quite dangerous themselves. Here's why it's important for these groups to take precautions when patrolling their neighborhoods.
In the United States, those who choose to patrol their neighborhoods often do so because they're concerned about security or law enforcement in their area being inadequate or understaffed. In some cases, this means that citizens may form citizen action teams that conduct foot patrols of local businesses or public areas during particular hours of the day (e.g., night).
See JUMP's different security solutions for your home in Nigeria
Section 1: Why Neighborhood Patrols Are Important
According to an article by Quintan Wiktorowicz at Huffington Post, people who regularly patrol their communities in Nigeria often do so to help others, in this case, their neighbors. So, what makes the presence of neighborhood patrols so important?
In some cases, this type of neighborhood watch serves as an additional line of defense for crime victims. While many people tend to rely on the police to protect them from violence, sometimes it can be difficult to seek police assistance if you don't know your neighbors well enough. Additionally, neighborhood patrol volunteers can help prevent crime by reporting suspicious activity to the authorities and perhaps even instigating other self-defense measures.
How Neighborhood Patrols Work in Nigeria
In Nigeria, street-level patrols have little to do with law enforcement. Instead, they're often used to make one's neighborhood more peaceful and safe by physically confronting gang members or other criminals who attempt to rob, attack or assault individuals or damage property within a neighborhood.
This can have the unintended consequence of turning neighborhood patrols into what's known as "mob justice." The result is often that neighborhoods become no-go areas for the communities' residents.
How to Avoid a Neighborhood Watch Group in Nigeria
Sometimes, groups of young men or teenagers will organize to patrol certain parts of a neighborhood and may choose to do so during specified hours of the day.
The Role of the Community in Neighborhood Patrols
While community members certainly play a role in vigilante patrols, many communities also host neighborhood watch programs that encourage community members to get involved in crime prevention and patrolling efforts. This means that the citizens themselves are key to the success of neighborhood watch programs. There are a number of reasons why this is so.
• You'll Get to Know Your Neighbors Better. A neighborhood watch program can connect local citizens to each other as well as with the police. After all, you might be the person who is most likely to see something suspicious happening. A neighborhood watch program can be a great way to connect with those in your area.
• It'll Help With Crime Prevention.
What You Should Know Before Joining a Neighborhood Patrol
In Nigeria, some citizens create neighborhood patrols for a different reason. They have something to prove. They want to show the rest of the city that they, too, are in control and they won't allow crime to run amok. However, this comes with some risks and concerns that you should be aware of before you join a neighborhood patrol in Nigeria:
Becoming a Neighborhood Patrol Member Can Be Extremely Dangerous
Many of the crime problems that plagued Nigeria before the economic recession occurred also involved some level of violent crime. Because of this, some citizens have chosen to become neighborhood patrol members in order to help curb crime.
Conclusion
In short, the U.S. was founded on the principle of individual and personal liberty. This liberty grants American citizens the opportunity to create for themselves the lives they want and to form and participate in political activities in which they agree. In so doing, people are able to build communities that are responsible, safe, and inclusive.
Wherever you live, you can continue to build a better world for yourself and your family by applying ideas from both traditional American and modern Nigerian social planning to guide you toward a better quality of life. This is one of the reasons I've devoted my life to the improvement of my country and to the extension of liberty across the world.
