This study investigates crime in two socioeconomically distinctive localities in Accra, Cantonments and Jamestown. Over the years, scholars in the field of crime studies have attempted to ascertain a link between levels of criminal activities and socioeconomic phenomena such as poverty. Despite the fact that the Ghana police service (GPS) claim that crime rates have been declining steadily over the years, crime remains a major threat to the lives and property of people in Ghana considering the fact that the nation struggles with poverty, economic inequality, the ‘proliferation’ of illicit drugs, arms etc.
This study also addresses target hardening and the critical role it plays in protecting many civilians from being victims of criminal activity in their homes.
The main theoretical perspective of the study is the situational crime prevention theory. This theory aims at finding out reasons why certain crimes occur at particular locations. For instance, why a crime like armed robbery or theft is prevalent in Cantonments or why physical assault is prevalent in Jamestown. Using situational crime prevention as a guide, this study attempts investigate the reasons why certain crimes occur at particular locations in Cantonments and Jamestown.
Today, in order to properly deal with crime, it is important to know which crimes are frequent at a particular location be it an upper class residential area or a lower class residential area. Due to this reason, crime mapping through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) plays a very crucial role in identifying crime hotspots. By so doing, it aids the appropriate authorities in combating crime.
Over the course of this study, property crimes such as armed robbery and burglary were found to be more prevalent in upper class residential areas like Cantonments whereas non-property crimes such as physical assault and murder are more prevalent in lower class settlements like Jamestown. It was also discovered that, highly sophisticated target hardening measures were more common in upper class residential areas like Cantonments. This study like the ‘Crime-poverty nexus’ studies by Owusu, Oteng-Ababio, et.al, (2016) recommends that crime prevention measures carried out by the police and other authorities must be place specific. This is because the unique socioeconomic circumstances of a locality determines the types of crime which are prevalent in that locality.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- Dedication
- Acknowledgement
- Chapter One
- Introduction
- Statement of the Problem
- Objectives of the Study
- Research Questions
- Significance of the Study
- Scope of the Study
- Limitations of the Study
- Definition of Terms
- Chapter Two
- Literature Review
- Theories of Crime
- Crime in Ghana
- Upper and Lower Class Residential Areas in Accra
- Target Hardening
- Situational Crime Prevention Theory
- Chapter Three
- Methodology
- Research Design
- Study Area
- Sampling Technique
- Data Collection Techniques
- Data Analysis
- Ethical Considerations
- Chapter Four
- Presentation of Findings
- Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents
- Types of Crime in Cantonments and Jamestown
- Target Hardening Measures in Cantonments and Jamestown
- Chapter Five
- Discussion of Findings
- Conclusion
- Recommendations
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research aims to explore the relationship between socioeconomic factors and crime rates in two contrasting residential areas in Accra, Ghana: Cantonments, an upper-class area, and Jamestown, a lower-class area. The study investigates the prevalence of various types of crime, including property crimes and non-property crimes, in each location and examines the role of target hardening measures in crime prevention.
- The relationship between socioeconomic status and crime rates
- The types of crime prevalent in upper and lower-class residential areas
- The effectiveness of target hardening measures in reducing crime
- The application of the situational crime prevention theory to understanding crime patterns
- The need for place-specific crime prevention strategies based on local socioeconomic conditions
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter One: Introduction This chapter provides an overview of the study's context, problem, objectives, research questions, significance, scope, limitations, and definition of key terms. It establishes the foundation for the research and highlights its importance.
- Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter examines existing literature on crime, theories of crime, crime in Ghana, upper and lower-class residential areas in Accra, target hardening, and the situational crime prevention theory. It provides a theoretical framework for the study.
- Chapter Three: Methodology This chapter outlines the research design, study area, sampling technique, data collection techniques, data analysis methods, and ethical considerations used in the study. It provides a detailed explanation of the research process.
- Chapter Four: Presentation of Findings This chapter presents the key findings of the study, including demographic characteristics of the respondents, types of crime in Cantonments and Jamestown, and the target hardening measures in place in each location. It provides empirical evidence to support the study's conclusions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study focuses on the key terms of crime, socioeconomic status, upper-class residential areas, lower-class residential areas, Cantonments, Jamestown, Accra, Ghana, situational crime prevention theory, target hardening, and place-specific crime prevention strategies. These keywords represent the core concepts and themes explored in the research.
- Quote paper
- Selase Kwami (Author), 2017, The level of criminality in upper and lower class residential areas in Accra. The study of Cantonments and Jamestown, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/370290
