Automated Crime Tracking And Detection Information System For Security Agencies
Chapter One/Introduction
Background of Study
The quest to control crime and breakdown of law and order increases has the society grows and diversity of human intentions and interactions abound. An ideal society is governed by laws and regulations that are collectively agreed upon and measurable consequences that will be meted out for any member of the society that is found culpable to have floated any specific component of the legal infrastructure.
Besides the legal infrastructure in a society are the security apparatuses that enforce the law with the interest to maintain law and order. The legal infrastructures determine the extent to which law enforcement agents can act or protect the common interests of individuals in the society. It also outlines the civic responsibilities and human rights for the members of the society.
Customarily, members of the society are supposed to report any incidence of breakdown of law and order to the appropriate civil and military security apparatuses. Reported cases are also supposed to be intelligently collected, evaluated and investigated to a more conclusive and justifiable end. Evidences are collected, protected and properly examined before accused persons are charged to Law court and fairly prosecuted. Investigations are carried out without fear or favour. In fact, any attempt to prevent due process during crime investigation is in itself a crime and it is also punishable under the law.
Until recently, the process of reporting and investigating crimes in the society has been mainly manual. Individuals who have some complaints will work into any offices of the security agents (e.g. Police, neighborhood corps) to inform and write in statement issues that may need their attention. At these offices, the security agents will raise an incidence form and ask the reporter to fill some appropriate segments. The security agents will also ask some intelligent questions from the reporter and make notes of preliminary investigations. Evidences suggested will be noted and further investigations will be followed up and new evidences will be collected, evaluated and protected.
The advent of technology has opened new fronts of opportunities of leveraging on the diverse benefits of information technology to crime reporting. There are various technology platforms that have been developed to assist how crime incidences are reported, responded to and investigated. The technological applications have gone from telegraph, special radio communication, and dedicated phone lines to a more responsive and more pervasive technological application platforms (web and mobile software applications). Majority of the members of the society nowadays have mobile devices that can easily access the internet. This makes the web approach the most economical and open approach for reporting crime with a far reaching benefits and coverage. Although there are several efforts that have been made in this area around the world, there is still no popular and responsive platform for reporting crime in Nigeria. The few available platforms in Nigeria (e.g. Amebo, Linda Ikeji) are blogs and are not ultimately serving the goal of properly reporting, evaluating and investigating various crimes in Nigeria. A close thing to it is the respective platforms sponsored by Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFFC) and Investigation of Crime and Corrupt practices (ICPC); they provide avenues to report crime incidences but investigation and response are towards financial crimes. This platform does not include murder, battery or harassment incidences which are commonly reported at the local Police station than financial crimes reported at EFFC and ICPC combined. These institutions and their respective platforms are specialized in the area of financial crime and their activities are so secretive that processes and progress of investigations are not shared with other security agencies and the members of the public.
The available platforms are far below how technology could be harnessed to report crimes. The platforms are not popular and not very intuitive to use by common citizens. The platforms are unidirectional in the sense they do not have feedback for the members of the society. All these gaps have necessitated our interests for an ideal application that will address the limitations.
We are looking forward to developing an all-encompassing web platform that reports all manners of crimes, open to all members of the public, suggestive (search for entities), interpretative and enlightening. The platform will provide a platform for various security agencies to share and gather evidences and mobilize members of the public for certain interests that will drive better policing, crime prevention and investigation.
We hope this project will address the gaps identified in the information space of crime reporting and investigation in Nigeria.
Statement of Problem
The notable crime reporting platforms are lopsided and not intuitive. The process of reporting crimes to security agencies still remain very difficult. The platforms are also unidirectional in the sense that they do not have feedbacks for the members of the society. The existing platforms do not support sharing of relevant information with other security agencies, thereby because owners of these platforms wants to take all the praise; while in actual fact security is being reinforced when meaningful and relevant information is shared among security stakeholders towards offering an excellent service. All these make our justice system questionable and irresponsible.
We propose an all-encompassing platform that will practically address ego issues among security agencies, give feedbacks and strengthen the overall security service and existing security apparatuses.
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