The effectiveness of private security companies in crime prevention: A case of Lilongwe City

Abstract

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of Private Security Companies (PSC) in crime prevention in Lilongwe City as compelled by their role in ensuring criminal activities are reduced in public places. The Routine Activity theory of criminology informed the study. Specifically, the study intended to determine PSC level of engagement, establish its capabilities and establish the cooperation between PSC and Law Enforcement in crime prevention. The study adopted qualitative and descriptive research design approaches. Purposive and stratified random sampling were used to ensure proportionate representation of the population. Qualitative data was collected using Focus Group Discussions and interviews from 11 respondents whilst quantitative data was collected using questionnaires from 60 respondents. Analysis was done using thematic and descriptive statistics analysis. The study findings show that PSC was engaged in a variety of crime prevention protocols and achieved an increase in interception of criminal activities in 2021 as compared to 2020. In addition, they build their capacity through training. PSC was also in the process of developing a close relation with MPS in information sharing, crime mapping and identification of crime hotspots within the city. The study recommends the development of Private Security Regulatory Framework to enable the implementation of PSC functions within crime prevention bounds, recruitment of graduates who would understand the characteristics of crime prevention, provide a joint crime prevention training with MPS in order to build more trust and confidence with the public.