A SURVEY ON THE CHALLENGES OF PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES IN CRIME PREVENTION IN 21ST CENTURY NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to examine critical challenges facing private security companies (PSCs) in their daily aspiration towards meeting yearnings and aspirations of the company owners, the subscribers and general Society. The paper X- ray the origin of PSCs prior colonialism to present day Nigeria, it advances theoretical literature and conceptualization through Routine Activity Theory and Rational Choice Theory. The study employed questionnaires and in-depth interview to collect data for the studies. The data revealed high level of illiteracy among guards, poor equipments for fighting crime, poor salary/wages, sending of guards on errand while on duty, poor/lack of training and retraining on security tips, long working hours among some company’s guards and lack of motivation among guards in all the companies. The paper advanced solutions to the problems so highlighted.