| dc.description.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 | en_US |
