Lagos city of Nigeria has seen a sharp decline in crime rate after law enforcement officers went on strike, raising questions on the role of police in causing crime.
For two weeks now, cases of muggings, robbery with violence, break-ins and the regular kidnappings have dropped to near zero. Even the aggressive drivers who are common in Lagos seemed to have suddenly acquired a sense of common sense.
The bizarre incidence has left the country puzzled. “Why would a police strike lead to a drop-in crime rate? We know that there is a relationship between police and crime, but what exactly is the relationship? Is it directly proportional?”
Several theories have come to explain why crime is falling. Some people argue that citizens have become better at defending themselves since the police are not there to do the babysitting. This could be the reason why criminals are scared to venture out because they know that their targets are ready for them.
Others have argued that the policemen might have been the source of all crime and therefore the fact that they are not at work means there is no one to do the crime. A similar theory suggests that police are the ones who license criminals. With the police on strike, criminals do not have a license to operate and thus their operations have been grounded.
While most people are thinking that it is time to plan a future without policemen, some keen observers have urged for caution before taking any drastic measures. The data that that shows that crime rate has fallen was obtained from the Occurrence Books across Lagos State Police Command, which have zero entries since the police are on strike.
