Managing police grievances in a depressed economy: the Lagos Colony Police mutiny of 1933

Abstract

Its command structure notwithstanding, police forces are composed of men whose actions and reactions are influenced by prevailing circumstances. Even when their responses could negate the norms and mores of the organisation, the management of such responses is essential to the protection and promotion of the corporate integrity of the police force, on the one hand, and social wellbeing, on the other. Given the centrality and the continued relevance of the economy to tenure, productivity and welfare of workers – including policemen – this article discusses grievance management strategies employed by the police high command in the case of the Lagos Colony Police mutiny of 1933. The article situates the mutiny in the context of the economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s and assesses the effectiveness of the measures adopted to control it vis-à-vis the nature of the police grievances, the nature of the police force and the prevailing economic situation. The study concludes that its grave dangers to the police force and the country notwithstanding, a mutiny in the police force, like any other segment of the armed forces, could not really be stopped (as seen in contemporary Nigeria) but the manner of its management could make a significant difference (hence the need for the force to be more proactive, responsible and responsive).