EVOLUTION OF CRIME IN THE IVORY COAST (FROM URBAN AND RURAL CRIME AND ITS CONTROL IN WEST AFRICA, 1973 - SEE NCJ-64784)

• NCJ Number: 64785
• Author(s): Y BRILLON
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 37 pages
• Corporate Author: Universite de Montreal, Centre International de Criminologie Comparee; Abidjan Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

THE EVOLUTION OF CRIME IN THE IVORY COAST IS EXAMINED WITH EMPHASIS ON CHANGING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRY AND ON THE TYPES OF STATISTICS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYZING CHANGE.

Abstract

THE IVORY COAST IS A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING COUNTRY UNDERGOING CHANGE FROM A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION BASED ON THE CLAN AND THE TRIBE TO A MODERN SOCIETY IN WHICH FAMILY TIES NO LONGER HAVE THE SAME MEANING. ALTHOUGH STATISTICS ARE RUDIMENTARY, THEY RELIABLY INDICATE TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIME IN WEST AFRICA. DATA ON REPORTED CRIME REFLECT DIFFERENCES IN THE NUMBERS OF POLICE, IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS AS WELL AS IN THE KINDS OF CRIMES ON WHICH THEIR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS FOCUS. IN CITIES, PROPERTY OFFENSES COMPRISE OVER 90 PERCENT OF CRIMES. IN RURAL AREAS, PROPERTY CRIMES ALSO PREDOMINATE, BUT A HIGHER PROPORTION OF VIOLENT CRIME EXISTS. JUDICIAL STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE RATE PER 1,000 POPULATION OF CASES BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURTS HAS DROPPED FROM 50.5 IN 1966 TO 42.0 IN 1971. THE CRIME RATE INCREASES AS THE POPULATION DENSITY INCREASES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CRIME INEVITABLY INCREASES WITH URBAN GROWTH. THE RISE IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING, URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, THE RURAL EXODUS, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANCESTRAL VALUES, AND THE CLAN STRUCTURE ARE ALL FACTORS THAT CAN EXPLAIN THIS INCREASE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. THE INCREASE IN CRIME IN THE YOUNG AFRICAN STATES IS ESPECIALLY SERIOUS BECAUSE IT SLOWS DEVELOPMENT AND THREATENS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. GOVERNMENTS' REPRESSIVE ATTITUDES DEMONSTRATE THE EXTENT OF THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE RISING INCIDENCE OF CRIME. CURRENT STATISTICS ARE UNRELIABLE IN PART BECAUSE OF THE SUPERIMPOSITION OF MODERN LAW ON TRADITIONAL LAW WITHOUT COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF TRADITIONAL LAW'S INFLUENCE. THE 'BLACK NUMBER' (CRIMES HANDLED BY ANCESTRAL LEGAL BODIES AND UNKNOWN TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES) IS PARTICULARLY HIGH IN AFRICA, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. RESEARCH ON RURAL CRIME SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF THIS FACT. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND APPENDED TABLES ARE INCLUDED. FOR THE VOLUME OF WHICH THIS ARTICLE IS A PART, SEE NCJ 64784. (CFW)