Citation

Frimpong LK. SN Soc. Sci. 2021; 1(3): e70.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s43545-021-00075-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Providing adequate safety and security for urban residents in major cities in Ghana has been a major challenge for local and national authorities. To enhance safety and reduce both actual and perceived risk to criminal victimisation, urban residents have resorted to the use of access control features such as fences, barbed wires, and burglar alarms to reduce their risk to property crimes. This study sought to examine whether access control features within building properties have any significant effect on the perceived risk of theft and burglary victimisation in selected neighbourhoods in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. The study draws from a survey conducted in three residential neighbourhoods in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis and key informant interviews conducted with selected stakeholders. Survey results were analysed using binary logistic regression and integrated with the qualitative data.

FINDINGS from the study reveal that while certain access control features may provide the minimum safety precautionary measures in some neighbourhoods, the use of others could also be regressive and have a negative effect on residents' perceived risk to criminal victimisation. The study recommends a context-specific solution to addressing risk concerns to property victimisation in various neighbourhoods considering other structural problems in these neighbourhoods.

Language: en