MST-Department of Security and Correction Science

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Browsing MST-Department of Security and Correction Science by Subject "Alternative"

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    Impact of Private Security Firms as an Alternative in Crime Prevention within Nairobi Central Business District, Nairobi County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Odhiambo, Joshua; Francis Kerre
    Until recently, police dominated the delivery of crime prevention activities, but emerging trends in the regulation of societies have led to the privatization of such efforts and agencies with crime prevention functions. Traditionally, police protected public property and spaces. However of late, in the case of mass private property used extensively by the public such as shopping malls, privately operated airstrips, and sporting arenas, their owners have turned to private security to help maintain order and control access in their spheres (Ericson 2007). Private security is certainly becoming part of the wider security component that has been widely employed in the country. It is against this background that the researcher delve deep into this topic and decided to evaluate the impact of private security firms as an alternative to crime prevention within the Nairobi Central Business District. This study explored the performance of private security firms in crime prevention, reviewing examples from a diverse range of scenarios of their roles as industry players and functions as per the law. Many scholars, investors and practitioners are under-informed about the operational capacities, effectiveness and efficiency of those privately tasked with ensuring the city’s CBD security due to little research and literature on the work of private security firms within the Nairobi Central Business District. This study further assessed some of the challenges faced by the private security firms within their scope of work in the Nairobi CBD. The report went on to explore at how the government and the private sector could work together to improve private security firm and police cooperation. Last but not least, was to explore the level of satisfaction on the Services offered by the private security firms operating within the Nairobi CBD. In order to clearly bring out the study’s findings, the researcher adopted the Crime Pattern Theory to explain the different crime rates and their rampancy within the various parts of the Nairobi Central Business District. This study also explored the literature and similar studies on other cities in the world, then continentally on some selected African states before narrowing down to what is available locally. The researcher did put into use the descriptive research methodology and carried out an exploratory study. This study largely drew its respondents and target population from the two major private security umbrellas in the country namely: the Kenya Security Industry Association (KSIA) and Protective Security Industry Association (PSIA). The target population was a total of 70 private security firms operating within the Nairobi CBD with a sample size of 50 security firms participating and being representative of the target population. This study extensively employed the Stratified Random Sampling design as well as Purposive Sampling to classify and organize data from various strata as was relevant and applicable to the study. This study prioritized the primary collection of data but also utilized the existence of available comparable topics of study to the one being conducted. To safeguard the integrity of the study, the researcher took necessary steps to protect the confidentiality of the information and anonymity of the respondents. The study covered the role of private security firms in preventing crime in Nairobi CBD by protecting and preserving life and property, management of risks involved, controlling human and motor vehicles traffic, maintaining law, order and security within their private spheres. Among the challenges they faced was presence of illegal guns, utilization of outdated training curricula, inadequate deployment of security gadgets and access control technology etc. As for the effectiveness of PSFs-Police cooperation it was attributed to the close cooperation between them in physical transfer of cash, distress calls, incident responses, protection against sophisticated crimes such as cybercrimes etc. Their various clients were also affirmative of their role and performance of crime prevention in Nairobi CBD. The study recommended the advancement of the understanding of the role of private security firms in crime prevention, the adoption of new knowledge and current best practices to surmount challenges and the betterment of working conditions and the welfare of their security personnel and staff.