Rural Communities' Perception of Police and Police Response: The Case of Rural Farmers in Kenya

• In Event: Advances in Rural Criminology: Crime and Security in Rural Communities I

Abstract

Police responses to crimes can have a serious impact on how victims and communities behave in subsequent actions. In Kenya, there has been little research to understand how rural communities perceive police and their response. This present study fills this gap in the literature on public perceptions of police and their responses by examining the lived experiences of rural communities in north-western Kenya. Based on the survey perceptions of rural communities in Kenya on victimization, safety, and policing in their homes in 2023, this article presents the views of 247 individuals in two counties in Kenya. The major findings from this study indicate that a lack of police trust affects citizens behaviour in complying with the law and subsequent reporting of crime. The findings from this study support rural crime policing scholarship as it contributes rural crime knowledge from a developing country context. The study recommends that police should treat crimes reported by citizens seriously as it have impacts on public behaviours especially regarding handling of offenders, citizens’ stress levels and future collaborations with criminal justice system.

Author

• Emmanuel Bunei, University of New England