PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE NIGERIA POLICE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTION AMONG BENIN RESIDENTS

The researchers examined the perception of public relationship of the Nigeria police as a law enforcement institution among Benin residents. The study is anchored on the Systems Theory to access and discuss relevant literatures on the study. Using the survey research method, data for this work was obtained through the use of structured questionnaire. The sample size was 384 respondents who were sampled using the multi-stage sampling technique. The collected data was analyzed using frequency counts and simple percentage method and presented in tables. The study found that the police as an institution are important for maintenance of law and order in the public but the relationship between the police and the public is very bad. Therefore, most importantly the study recommended, among others, the need for Edo State Police Command to put up a public relations programme on the radio and television to enlighten the public on the importance of police public relations, highlight the activities of the police and elicit the support of the public.