Survey of Tasks and Resources of the Ivory Coast Police at Abidjan During the Year 1973 (From Crime Prevention and Planning, P 88-107, 1974 - See NCJ-70605)

• NCJ Number: 70609
• Author(s): R Jacobs
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: Paper presented at the Fourth West African Conference on Criminology, April 25, 26, 27, 1974, Abidjan, The Ivory Coast, South Africa.

Annotation

This paper presents demographic and other information for Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast. A 1973 study of Abidjan concludes that its police districts lack resources needed for effective policing.

Abstract

Abidjan has, besides its regular police districts, special harbor, airport, and railway police, and a special criminal investigations unit. The police forces and districts are headed by a central office also having jurisdiction over the national guard. Information about the manpower, equipment, and activities for each force or district, obtained through interviews with personnel, is provided. The article concludes that the small number of police officers (700), lack of patrol cars, and inadequate radio and telephone communications seriously inhibit police effectiveness. The study reports that over 23,000 cases were handled by the police in 1973, including 7,000 accident cases and 16,000 criminal cases were for theft and a fifth for assault and battery. It is speculated that the total of 34 assassinations and murders reported for Abidjan is too low, a result of different reporting standards among police districts. Finally, lack of street markings and ongoing geographic changes in the city because of urban renewal exacerbate the problems of crime investigators. For related papers, see NCJ 70605.