Application of Participatory GIS in Crime Mapping of Ibadan North, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract This paper demonstrates the application of Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) as a tool to present people’s local spatial knowledge of crime in the form of 2-dimensional maps. This study adopted a survey research design employing both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data were collected through the administration of 96 copies of questionnaires, and a Web-based PGIS map served as a data collection instrument to collect spatial information on crime occurrences in the study area. Secondary data were sourced from journals, reports and the Nigerian Police Force. Results show that Mokola is a poor residential neighborhood occupied mainly by self-employed and low-income business merchants. It also reveals that Mokola experiences 689 percent more crime than would be expected, given the distribution of crime in the study area. Also, crime hotspots such as Roundabout junction, Dandaru hill, Darlington street were identified by participants aiding knowledge of the crime pattern in the study area. This study recommends natural surveillance as a concept of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) to keep potential offenders under easy observation. In conclusion, this study offers a vital link between the police and the general populace, one that has been absent in times past.