Analysis of the relationship between security measures and crime occurance at the School of Statistics and Planning

Abstract

Campus security is a growing concern in institutions of higher learning due to the continued occurrence of crimes such as theft, assault, vandalism, and unauthorized access despite the implementation of security measures. This study examined the relationship between security measures and crime occurrence at the School of Statistics and Planning, Makerere University. Specifically, the study assessed the influence of security personnel availability, CCTV camera availability, and lighting conditions on students’ likelihood of witnessing crime. Data was collected from 300 undergraduate students using KoboToolbox, and data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square tests of independence, and binary logistic regression using SPSS version 26 and Stata. The dependent variable was whether a student had witnessed a crime, while security personnel availability, CCTV camera availability, and lighting conditions were the explanatory variables. The findings showed that 58.3% of respondents had witnessed at least one crime incident. Theft was the most commonly witnessed crime (43.4%), followed by assault or physical attacks (24.5%), burglary (17.2%), vandalism (13.1%), and cybercrime (1.7%). Most incidents occurred during nighttime (53.0%), with hostels or halls of residence (68.0%) and parking areas (30.9%) identified as the main crime-prone locations. However, adequate lighting significantly reduced the likelihood of witnessing crime by 93% compared to areas with very limited lighting (AOR = 0.07, p = 0.014). The study concludes that security measures such as CCTV cameras and security personnel require effective deployment, monitoring, and maintenance to improve their crime prevention effectiveness. Adequate lighting emerged as the most influential security measure associated with reduced crime occurrence. The study recommends improving lighting coverage, increasing night patrols, deploying security personnel to crime-prone areas, and ensuring proper functioning and monitoring of CCTV cameras