Mr. Ernest Bagson holds an MPhil. in Development Studies from the University of Cape Coast (UCC). He also holds a B.Ed. in Science from UCC.

PHD TOPIC: NEIGHBOURHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AND INDIGENOUS CONTROL OF STREET CRIMES IN THE TAMALE METROPOLITAN AREA.

Urban growth is expected to double within the next 40 to 50 years; most significantly in the developing world particularly in Africa and Asia. Urbanization results in both positive and negative drivers of change. Crime, violence and inequality occur when there is urban growth but reduce development efforts in Africa. The theory of social disorganization attributes the causes of crime to structural barriers that hinder the formation and sustenance of local network ties to address problems of communal interest based on research in the industrialized world. It is therefore important to recognize that, as the developing world and Ghana adopts crime prevention and control mechanisms associated with urbanized neighbourhoods from the developed world, there is the need to critically examine urban neighbourhood characteristics and indigenous street crime control mechanisms in Ghana in order to evolve sustainably. Tamale as an evolving urban area in Ghana is deemed fit to be subjected to the tenets of the social disorganization theory in assessing the situation of crime and also to examine indigenous street crime control mechanisms given the deficit in the police-civilians population ratio within the municipality.