Public Confidence in the Police and Crime Reporting Practices of Victims in Lagos, Nigeria: A Mixed Methods Study

Public confidence in the police is usually influenced by multilayer factors. These factors have not been comprehensively studied in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examines the influence of public confidence in the police on victims' reporting practices in Lagos, Nigeria. Using Weberian social action as theoretical framework, survey research design, involving the use of qualitative and quantitative methods was adopted. It covered the three senatorial districts in Lagos with data obtained from 948 respondents selected through multistage sampling procedure. Six In-Depth and 12 Key Informant Interviews with 10 Case Studies were conducted for qualitative data which analysis involved the use of simple percentages, chi square and content analysis. The findings indicated that 69.7% of respondents had no confidence in the police but rural respondents had more confidence than their semiurban and urban counterparts in the study area. However, chi-square analysis showed that public confidence in the police is not significantly related to crime reporting ((chi)2 p value > 0.05). The study concluded that public confidence in the police is central to the provision of local intelligence through effective reporting by respondents. Since poverty does not breed confidence, it suggests that government should eliminate poverty to make the police engage confidence-building activities to enhance public approval of its services.