Culture, Training, Technological Application and Crime Investigation Effectiveness across Commercial Crime Investigative Units in Nigeria: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Crime investigation is an important law enforcement activity.It is one of the least studied law enforcement functions. Generally, criminal investigation is viewed as a ‘truth finding' process at the end of which the crime is solved, and offenders are caught. This study therefore investigated culture, training, technological application and crime investigation effectiveness across commercial crime investigative units in Nigeria.

This study used a descriptive survey design of ex-post-facto type. One thousand and two hundred participants, selected through a combination of purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were drawn from commercial crime investigating units of the Police, EFCC, Customs and NDLEA in Lagos State. Data were collected using two adopted and three adapted instruments. The reliability coefficients yielded by the instruments were: Agency Culture Inventory, 0.88; Training Effectiveness Scale, 0.73; Technology Application Inventory, 0.91; and Commercial Crime Investigators Effectiveness Scale, 0.81. Three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance, while data were analyzed using of means, standard deviation and Multiple Regression Analysis.

The findings of this study indicated the results indicated significant mean differences in the influence of agency culture (F_{(4, 1179)} = 4.765, p = .000), training (F_{(4, 1179)} = 8.306, p = .007), and technological application (F_{(4, 1179)} = 5.160, p = .000) on commercial crime investigators' effectiveness based on agency type.

It is therefore concluded that agency culture, training and application of technology has substantial impact on law enforcement practices. In addition, any positive relationship that exists between agency culture, training and application of technology by the agency improves the quality of investigation and performance of law enforcement agencies.