Entrenching public relations as inclusive education strategy to generate reliable crime statistics in Nigeria

Abstract

: Th e inclusiveness of education drives sustainable public relations for reliable crime statistics report is determined by power play among critical actors in the sector whose interest are dichotomized into vested and entrenched interests that shaped public opinion on education and crime rate. Access to education can only be inclusive when all stakeholders are involved in its planning, execution and delivery of knowledge in a manner that does not discriminate in access and delivery. However, there is a disconnect between what knowledge is allowed to feed public opinion using public relations by the entrenched and vested interest in the edu-1 cation and law enforcement sectors. While clamor for inclusive education heighten across social class, the cost component of access is not accessible to all. Th erefore, the paper argues that deepening equity and inclusiveness in education and law enforcement will neither allow access discrimination nor spurious reportage within the public domain using public relations. It further posits that disparage public opinion on education and law enforcement using public relation mutilate reality and creates false impression that negatively aff ect planning and development. Edwin Sutherland (1947)`s Diff erential Association-reinforcement theory of criminal behavior provided the framework while the design was exploratory. Qualitative data was purposively gathered from National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), University of Abuja (UA), and Divisional Police Headquarters Lugbe. Th e preliminary fi ndings reveal that equity and inclusive education is necessary sustain objective public relation that will not misguide professional and public on crime statistics in Nigeria.