Digitization of Police Reporting Systems on Crime Detection and Response in Kasarani Sub-county, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The proliferation of urbanization and globalization has precipitated significant increases in crime rates in densely populated urban areas. Criminals have also leveraged technology as both a tool and facilitator for perpetrating crime and this necessitate the need for leveraging technology in crime detection and response by law enforcement agencies. Kasarani reported 3,847 crime incidents in 2023 alone. This study examined digitization of police reporting systems on crime detection and response in Kasarani Sub-county, Kenya. Despite the introduction of digital police systems, there exists a gap as to whether the expected improvement outcomes of these systems on crime detection and response are being achieved. The specific objectives were to examine the role of mobile reporting systems on crime detection and response, the impacts of digital police occurrence books on crime detection and response and the and the contribution of real-time surveillance systems on crime detection and response. This study integrated two complimentary theories: The Diffusion of Innovation Theory (Rogers, 2003) and the Routine Activity Theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979). The study employed a mixedmethods approach involving descriptive and cross-sectional research designs where Questionnaires, focus group discussion guides and interview guides were the main instruments of data collection administered both manually and electronically to a target population of 384 respondents and informants: comprising of 40 police officers, 20 crime analysts, 30 DCI officers and 294 Kasarani residents. A total of 308 valid responses were achieved (271 questionnaires at a 79.94% response rate; 23 interviews at 92%; 14 focus group participants at 70%). Reliability was assessed using the testretest method, while validity was established through content, face, and construct validity from crime experts, policing specialists, and supervisors' opinions. Qualitative data were analysed thematically; quantitative data were analysed descriptively and presented in tables and figures. Findings on digital OBs revealed significantly low awareness (24.7%), against 59.4% who had never heard of them, despite Kasarani hosting Kenya's pilot digital OB project, a deficit attributed to inadequate civic education, uneven infrastructural distribution, and a change-resistant police culture. No station reported exclusive digital OB use, though 70% of respondents rated digital OBs as often or always effective in improving report accuracy and completeness. Real-time surveillance systems, the second objective, showed the highest penetration: 79.9% of respondents had interacted with such systems, 91.9% perceived clear benefits, chiefly faster detection and response and higher resolution rates, and 82% strongly agreed the systems were effective, though deployment remained skewed toward high-profile and traffic incidents, with connectivity, power reliability, and data privacy cited as key constraints. Mobile reporting apps showed moderate adoption: only 50% of respondents had interacted with them, and inadequate training (66.7%), poor connectivity (20%), and difficulty filtering AI-generated or fabricated content (12%) were the leading barriers to their utilization as credible crime-reporting sources. The study contributes evidence-based policy insights for law enforcement agencies and government on building digital institutions and police digital competencies for OB entry practices. It offers pathways for optimizing real-time surveillance deployment to enhance crime detection, response effectiveness, and resource allocation, and serves as a benchmark for future research tracking the evolutionary trajectory of digital policing in Kenya