COMMUNITY POLICING AND SECURITY IN NIGERIA.

A contemporary community challenge requires a symbiosis between the police and the community. This paper examined community policing and security in Delta State with focus on vigilante groups in Abraka kingdom. The survey research method was adopted, with a combination of both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Questionnaires were administered and data were also generated from books, journals and newspaper articles. Data collected was tabulated and analyzed using the simple percentage. The study revealed that the Nigerian police force alone cannot secure lives and properties of citizens of Delta state, without complementary efforts from the community. The paper concluded that the police and the community can actually work together to provide security for the state. The paper recommended amongst others that the law making body of the state, which is the State House of Assembly, to enact laws that will encourage the establishment and training of the vigilante groups to enhance community policing in Delta State as it has being in other States of the Federation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]