Exploring the Link between Poverty and Crime in Namibia

Arecent incident involving a gunfight between the Namibian police and a group of alleged criminals that resulted in the death of five men grabbed many people’s attention. Whether or not the deceased opened fire on the police, who killed them in the resulting gunfight, and regardless of whether the men had existing criminal records for crimes such as attempted murder, armed robbery, and robbery with aggravated circumstances, the incident led to much debate about police training, procedures, and possible over-reach.

It also got many people talking about the role that poverty and unemployment play in the level of crime said to be being experienced in Namibia. While many will pooh-pooh the suggestion, this is a valid question as numerous studies have shown that poverty reduction and social spending does more to reduce crime than increased policing. Yes, the Namibian police force is probably underfunded anyway, and yes, they lack many of the resources that their counterparts in other parts of the world have (as evidenced when, on a neighbourhood watch patrol, we were informed that we could not be assisted as the police on duty that night had no vehicle available to get to us), but it seems those people on social media were on the right track. Namibia would probably be better served spending our resources on poverty reduction and job creation than simply pumping money into our police services. An important caveat is of course that this does not necessarily relate to so-called white-collar crimes and other crimes motivated by greed which are generally perpetrated by those who do not suffer poverty or joblessness.

Many reasons are given for impoverished socio-economic circumstances leading to an increase in crime: from deprivation and the need to eat, to lower levels of education resulting in a lower chance of employment, a lack of physical and mental healthcare, and even a greater exposure to pollutants in the air. Some may argue that a lot of crime, especially GBV, is fuelled by drug or alcohol abuse. A correlation does exist, but the assumption that drug and alcohol use are the cause of poverty rather than a symptom is in many cases incorrect. Drugs and alcohol are, for many, used as a form of stress-relief, and it is certainly not true that crimes like GBV are limited to the poor.

I am not making excuses for crime, nor am I in any way implying that everyone who experiences poverty will turn to a life of crime, but the statistics are there! A study by Luke Fleming published by Bryant University in the United States showed that “income inequality is positively related to [the level of assault, robbery, and homicide],” and that “as money is distributed more evenly, all three types of crime should decrease”, while Blake Taylor shows that “a 1% increase in poverty leads to a 2.16% increase in total crime”. So apparent in fact is the link between poverty and crime, that the outgoing chief of the Merseyside police in Britain, Andy Cooke, said that if he were given £5bn to cut crime, he would put £1bn into law enforcement and £4bn into tackling poverty. Michael Olson meanwhile points out that after unconditional cash grants were issued to residents of Manitoba, Canada, there was “a change that amounts to 350 fewer violent crimes per 100,000 people compared to other towns” – perhaps another reason why President Hage Geingob should be convinced to support a basic income grant.

However, speaking of a basic income grant, knowing that alleviating poverty will go a long way to reducing crime in the country, is a lot easier than coming up with workable solutions for how to implement it. Some options include support for SMEs; improved access to schools and educational outcomes; a focus on not only the TVET college system we are once again championing in Namibia (the fact that we stopped has undoubtedly compounded many of our current problems) but also funding for, and the encouragement of, a recognised and accredited apprenticeship system; the construction of outdoor spaces that allow for a sense of community and for stress-relief; the promotion of positive role-models; a levelling of the playing field and reduction in the amount of inequality experienced in the country; and holding public officials to account by not only the media but also the general population. These are some thoughts among many others.

While comfortably ensconced in our airplane seat or couch at home, it is perhaps worth remembering that crimes committed in the affluent parts of our towns and cities are the ones most likely to catch our attention, it is – the world over – the poor who disproportionately suffer the most from crime.

Until next month: enjoy your journey.

Follow David Bishop's monthly column - A news editor's view