Intra-Urban Variation in Residents' Responses to Crime in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Aim: This study examined spatial pattern of crime and residents’ response to criminal activities in different residential areas of Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Methodology: Data were obtained through the stratification of the study area into the traditional town centre, middle income, high income and post crisis residential areas. One out of every five street (20%) was randomly selected. Every tenth building (10%) was selected using systematic sampling.
Results: Crime Rate of Occurrence Index (CROI) in the identified residential areas showed that store breaking with index of 3.44 was the most prevalent crime in the traditional town centre. House breaking was the most prevalent crime in the middle income (CROI=4.24) as well as the high income (CROI=3.96) residential areas while attempted rape (CROI= 3.34) was the major challenge in post crisis residential area. Residents’ responses to criminal activities through various means showed that burglary proofing accounted for 11.3% and 12.8% of all the residents’ responses to crime in the middle and high income residential areas of the town. Fencing accounted for 7.5% of residents’ responses to crime in the traditional town centre and 8.9%, 11.7% and 8.2% of residents’ crime coping mechanism respectively in middle income, high income and post crisis residential areas. Alarm system and surveillance respectively accounted for 0.4% and 3.0% of neighborhoods security measures in the high income residential area.
Conclusion: The study concluded residents’ responses to criminal activities varied along the different residential areas as the prevalent crime differ significantly in their rate of occurrence in the different residential zones.