1

Chapter 7
Conclusion
The concluding chapter consists of four segments. The first section described the
introduction have explained the background of the study, problem statement, research question,
hypothesis, objectives, methodology, and data analysis. The second part of this chapter narrated
the major findings of the research. The third section of this chapter described the brief conclusion
of the dissertation. And finally in the fourth part gave some recommendations to overcome and
bend the urban street crime in Chittagong city.

7. 1 Introduction

Currently, in determining the quality of human life and livelihood in a city, safety
and security is a vital factor. Safe movement and secured life attract people to settle and invest
in the city. Chittagong is the main seaport and commercial capital of Bangladesh. Unplanned
urban growth (vertical, horizontal, increased density) of the city results in many severe problems
in the life and livelihoods of city dwellers as well as dependents on the city. The rapid expansion
of the economic activities and unplanned urbanization (4.9% annually, BBS, 2011) contribute to
crime events and CMP crime statistics also show a sharp increasing trend. Therefore, the safety
and security of the city dwellers is a crucial issue and challenge for the urban local government
to maintain the quality of urban life and sustainable development.

Street crime incidence nowadays has become a very severe civic problem. It does
wake up with a headache in third world country’s big cities; especially densely populated and
unplanned urbanized cities like Chittagong city, Bangladesh. Crimes are rising in the alley and
panic spread out. It also has a significant difference considering the economic activities and
physiographic variation in the city. It was found that sometimes residential neighborhood areas
don’t face those crimes which are occurring in the business neighborhood areas. Perpetrators
who are committing crimes considering socio-economic and age-group have found a significant
influence. The target or victim of urban street crime shows also similarities concerning
criminological theory and concepts. Even there has a difference in the occurrence of time
between these two areas.

The dissertation literature review indicated that the urban street crime problem had a
burning issue in Bangladesh based on spatial and socioeconomic variables’ trends and more
importantly in Chittagong City, which was one of the vital obstacles to ensure smooth urban
development and quality of life. It revealed that lack of studies related to the urban street crime
of Chittagong city in Bangladesh; most of the studies were focused on the capital city of
Bangladesh, Dhaka; and to the best of knowledge, no research had been conducted on the growth
of street crime patterns in Chittagong City, influencing factors, and its impacts (social, economic,
psychological-fear) on the urban neighborhood environment. Therefore, an extensive study was
needed to visualize the present scenario and to identify and analyze the possible interventions for
further improvement to expose the new horizon of prospective studies on this issue.
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In viewing the aforesaid research gap in Chittagong city, this dissertation had
investigated the research question- ‘what are the socio-economic impacts of street crime in the
urban neighborhood environment in Chittagong City?’ And the ‘research hypothesis’ was- (a)
there is no spatial relationship between the street crime pattern & its effects on the urban
neighborhood of business and residential communities in Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP)
areas; (b) there are no exceptional impacts of street crime pattern on the urban neighborhood of
business and residential communities in the CMP areas.

Based on the research questions and hypothesis, the dissertation’s research questions
objectives were (i) to identify the causal factors leading to the creation of street crime pattern in
Chittagong City; (ii) to examine the effects of street crime pattern on the business in the
neighborhood and residential neighborhood communities; (iii) to investigate the relationship
between the fear of street crime and its actual occurrence in the city of Chittagong; (iv) to
analyze the responses of the business neighborhood communities, law enforcing agencies and
urban planning design approval authority’s in preventing and controlling street crime; and (v) to
provide policy recommendations to prevent the growth of street crime patterns in Chittagong
City.

The study included descriptive and explanatory research using primary data
gathering from household heads face-to-face in-person interviews, key informants interviews,
small group discussions, and in-depth interviews (at crime hotspots, police officers, and CDA
urban planners) at the 12 police stations of CMP. Along with primary data, secondary sources of
data in this research were contributed to a vital role to make credible research results. Secondary
data was collected from the relevant police station’s crime statistics reports from 2001 to 2017,
the police department’s annual report, human rights organization reports, academic research
reports and journal articles, city corporation’s annual report, Chittagong Development
Authority’s (CDA) urban planning developments annual report and Master plan of Chittagong
city, etc.

The current study’s data and information were analyzed applying various qualitative
and quantitative techniques that were very common and acceptable in scientific research. In
specific, descriptive, analytic, explanatory, univariate, bivariate, multivariate, etc. methods of
data analysis were used to analyze the gathered data and information. Qualitative techniques
were used to examine the current research. This analysis technique helped to understand the
magnitude of crime problems, factors of creating crime hotspots, the functional standard of
current crime prevention & controlling measures in CMP which were taken by the different
stakeholders, and what initiatives were needed to prevent and control the creation of crime
hotspots in CMP. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for
numerical data processing and analysis. In this regard, descriptive statistics and analytical
statistics techniques were applied to analyze the collected data and information.

Descriptive statistics were applied to explain frequency, %, cross-tabulation, at least

two variables, or more with the response and multiple responses of the respondents’. The
comparison of the level of frequency and % was used as a tool to interpret the data showing on
the crosstab. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were applied to get the scientifically acceptable
result from this study. Analysis of variance analysis (ANOVA), spatial auto-correlation, and
 3

weighted average index (WAI) analysis were conducted to evaluate the relationship between
street crime occurrence and spatial characteristics in the city. Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) techniques were used to show the various variables regarding urban street crime and
variation zones in the maps in considering different police stations ‘administrative areas. In this
aspect, QGIS 3.4 software was used for displaying the spatial variations of different variables of
this study.

7.2 Major Findings

The dissertation intensively had investigated to identify and determine the spatial
variation of socio-economic impacts of urban street crime in the residential and business
neighborhood of Chittagong city. The major findings of this dissertation were as follows-

 City dwellers most frequently victimized by the urban street crimes in the residential
neighborhood areas were theft, snatching, drug addiction, and illegal drug dealing, eve-
teasing, pick-pocketing, political violence, hijacking, etc. respectively.

 The highest number of theft has occurred in the Halishahar police station (PS) areas and
the lowest was in the Patenga PS. Besides, snatching was more prone in the Double
Mooring PS and less prone was in Karnafuli PS. Similarly, drug addiction and illegal
drug dealing was the maximum occurrence in Bandar PS and the lowest was in
Halishahar PS. Eve teasing and pick-pocketing occurrence were dominant in Halishahar
PS and lowest in Karnafuli PS areas. Political violence was highest in Bayejid PS and
lowest in Bakalia PS. Hijacking occurrence was in Panchlaish PS and the lowest level of
occurrence was in Halishahar PS.

 The adolescent and adult population (16 to 30 years) is more prone to criminal activity.
The study revealed that male people were the most obvious target of the offender in the
urban street. Women who were usually going outdoors for shopping or workplace or
accompanying their kids to the schools and colleges were the target of offenders. Man
and women both were also the main targets of the offenders in the urban streets as well as
the students. Most of the crime occurs at 7-9 pm in a residential area but in the business
areas mostly happens at 9 pm-12 am.

 The main causes of committing street crime in the RN areas were poverty and then lack
of parental care, financial gain, and unemployment or depression. Along with these, drug
addiction also plays a vital role in committing urban street crime in CMP areas.

 The offenders in committing a street crime took advantage of the narrowness of streets,
broken conditions, zigzag patterns, huge traffic jams, and absence of street lights, etc.
The study identified nearly 398 (three hundred ninety-eight) crime-prone locations in the
RN in CMP areas. It also showed that Dawanhatmoor, Jhawtola, Khulshi, Bohaddarhat,
and Pathantuli areas were the most crime-prone in the RN areas.

 In the business neighborhoods, Bandar PS had faced the highest numbers of snatching
and theft. On the contrary, Karnafuli PS faced the lowest level of snatching and Double
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Mooring PS looked the lowest theft. Besides, drug addiction and illegal drugs dealing
were high at Bandar PS and the lowest at Panchlaish PS. Political violence incidence was
at a peak at Pahartali PS and Patenga PS faced at the bottom. Along with these,
pickpocketing, extortion or illegal toll collection, hijacking, eve-teasing, illegal sex
business some other dominant urban street crime in the business neighborhood areas in
CMP.

 Some places in the business neighborhood areas are identified as the street crime
hotspots. Around 369 (three hundred and sixty-nine) street crime hotspots were
recognized in the business neighborhoods in Chittagong City and some top-ranked street
crime hot spots were Agrabad Moor, Sholoshahar 2 No. Gate, GEC Moor, Newmarket,
Bohaddarhat, Tigerpass Moor, Dawanhat Moor, Oxygen Moor, Barek Building Moor,
Chawkbazar, Muradpur, Moijjartek, Fakirhat, Kalamia Bazar, etc.

 Male people were excessively sufferers from urban street crime in the business
neighborhood areas. Then all ages of people faced street crime. At Panchlaish, Khulshi,
and Kotowali PS (36.59%) had more risk for businessmen to become a victim. Then
women were faced urban street crime severely and the situation is very harsh at Patenga
and Panchlaish PS. Pedestrians were most vulnerable at Bakalia, Panchlaish, and
Kotowali PS. However, school and college-going girls could move without headache at
Karnafuli, and Double Mooring PS.

 Bayejid, Chandgaon, Kotowali, and Double Mooring PS areas, it was found poverty and
people living in the slum as the main causes of committing street crime. But in the
Khulshi, Bandar, and Karnafuli PS areas demonstrated the lack of parental care, presence
of very poor people (27.61%) were highly engaged with urban street crime and gradually
the trend was declined when the socio-economic condition was uplifted. Besides lack of
moral knowledge, abuse of ICT, bad friend, making fun, curiosity, illiteracy, and lack of
awareness or degradation of the social-cultural environment were the major causes of
committing an urban street crime.

 It was found that the creation of mental panic was the apex effect on the community
environment. Feel scared to travel alone was the second top effect. Victim of physical
assault/harassment was the third important issue of the community environment. A renter
leaves positioned forth in community impact of urban street crime in Chittagong city.

 The feeling of insecurity in a public place depends on various factors of the socio-
physical environment of a city. Especially socio-economic characteristics of the city
dwellers and quality of urban governance play a vital role to determine the worth of
urban life as well as the fear-free movement of the people. The study found that in public
places of people argued that they had felt insecure and the portion was also high in
Bandar, Kotowali, Bayejid, and Patenga police stations. On the other hand, the people of
Bakalia Halishahar and Double Mooring police stations’ felt less insecurity in the public
place.
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 Community-based crime prevention activities were found more efficient in preventing

any types of criminal activities. The study established a huge portion of the business
community had introduced CCTV cameras and it gained top-ranked. Besides,
community-based security guards playing a vital role in reducing urban street crime
which was ranked two. The business community had personal security that was ranked
3rd. ‘Committee formation and cooperation’ was a fruitful initiative and it ranked fourth.
Along with these, social awareness/ ethical education/religious education, etc.

 Slum areas, the residence of poor, illiterate people’s living area, lack of development
were overriding had made the place fearful. And it was found massive at Bandar and
Bakalia police station areas. Other points like low income and high-income people living
together make a place more crime-prone and fearful. It was found very high in the
Halishahar police station area.

 Current research found that lack of sufficient street light installation and bad conditions
of streets were the main problems that had promoted fearful urban streets. Due to
insufficient street light installation at Double Mooring, Kotowali, Khulshi, and
Halishahar police station areas created various fearful conditions. Besides, narrow streets,
zigzag street patterns were also other reasons for creating horror among city dwellers and
it was dominant at Bandar and Patenga police stations.

 Feeling fear of urban street crime during daytime showed some variation. Fortunately, the
study found that at a day time majority of the peoples didn’t feel fear on the perception of
being a victim of street crime. In some PS, it was found higher percentage, such as
Double Mooring Bakalia and Halishahar police station area. The reasons for feeling fear
of urban street crime at day were huge people’s gathering and it was very much high in
Khulshi, Pahartali, Bandar, and Karnafuli police station areas. Then pick-pocketing and
snatching in Panchlaish, Chandgaon, and Bayejid police station areas. Besides in Bandar
police station areas due to high traffic congestion also increased the feeling of fear to
become a victim of urban street crime.

 Lower-middle-income groups of people feel more fear of street crime in Kotowali,

Panchlaish, and Bayejid police station areas. High-income groups of people in Halishahar
and Patenga police station areas feeling comparatively less fear of crime because of using
personal transport and have more security measures. But very poor people in Halishahar
and Karnafuli police station areas were felt less fear in their daily events. Lower-middle-
income group of people feels more fear in the street but higher middle-income groups of
people were also more feared in the urban street crime. The reasons for feeling fear
variation among the various income group of people were the assumption of being
victimized, cash availability, having luxury accessories, scared to lose property, scared to
lose a life. Lack of security was also another main reason for the fear of the middle-
income group of people.
 Increasing police patrolling in the area of Kotowali, Khulshi, and Pahartali police station
areas were very much needed. Along with ensuring punishment of criminals and sponsor
of the perpetrator of the various illegal activities was urged in the area of Pahartali,
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Khulshi, and Double Mooring police station area. Stopping corruption can also play an
important role in remedial action in the Bakalia and Bayejid police station areas.

 The necessary steps from the law-enforcing agencies revealed that introducing CCTV in
the street crime hotspots suggestively in the Kotowali, Double Mooring, and Khulshi
police station area. Then increasing police patrolling was the second most urged remedial
action from the law enforcing agencies and it was dominant at Kotowali, Pahartali, and
Khulshi police station areas. Establishing exemplary criminal punishment was much
needed to remedy the urban street crime incident in the business neighborhood areas in
the Kotowali, Bakalia, and Khulshi police station areas in Chittagong city.

 The street widening was the top recommendation in avoiding traffic congestion and it
was the leading perception at Kotowali, Bakalia, and Khulshi police station. Then
ensuring sufficient street light (daylight and electric light) by the action of urban planning
and design authority in the Pahartali, Double Mooring, and the Kotowali police station
areas. Special attention on transport nodes was also cooperative for preventing street
crime in the city and the perception was dominant in the Bakalia, Double Mooring, and
Kotowali police station areas. Ensuring visibility of the main entrance and surrounding of
the house was very supportive in reducing street crime and the perceptions were leading
at Khulshi, Kotowali, and Panchlaish police station areas. Besides, introducing gated
housing (common entrance and exist) was recommended for Kotowali and Khulshi police
station areas in bending urban street crime in CC.

7.3 Conclusion

Urban areas in any country are the engine of economic growth and symbol of
development. In some countries, it exposes the cultural heritages and origin of cultural diffusion.
Hence, to ensure safe and secure city life, necessary measures are required in every city. Without
taking proper actions by the city dwellers, urban local government, and urban planning and
development authorities, it would very difficult to maintain a safe life and livelihood in any city.
Along with many other challenges in sustainable urban development in ensuring the quality of
life, urban street crime is one of the foremost hindrances in Chittagong city. The incidences of
urban street crime were found much diversified and its effects in the community people, social
environment as well as in the business neighborhood were immense. Over time, the trend was
found gradually increasing. Adult men and women were found the most victim of urban street
crime. The psychophysical victim and financial loss were the major effects of urban street crime.
Perpetrators feel comfort to commit street crimes in some places where city dwellers are
frequently victimized.

The fear of street crime has found immense effects. It was found people did not feel
interested to go outside their house after 10.00 pm or unknown places. At night time people feel
more fear. Even in day time people also feel fear at crowded places, Dark streets, traffic jams,
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etc. The socio-physical characteristics of the place create the magnitude of fear in the street.
Sometimes qualities of the urban governance also play a vital role in feeling the fear of urban
street crime in Chittagong city. Adult and educated people feel more fear for urban street crime
and businessmen was found severely victim of it. The prevention measures of street crime in
Chittagong city were found very much diversified. Individual, community people, law
enforcement agencies and urban planning departments take various initiatives to save their lives
and livelihoods. Significant street crime prevention measures were personal security, installation
of CCTV cameras, community guards, police patrolling, street lighting, etc. City dwellers urged
to increase community cooperation and community-sponsored security systems, frequently
police patrolling, ensuring punishment of perpetrators, installing CCTV cameras in the crime
hotspots, street widening, and sufficient street light, etc. In concluding remarks, neighborhood
communities first need to come forward and find out the mechanism of how to make their
community safe and secure from street crime. Besides, law enforcement agencies were needed to
be modernized and cope with the mindset of citizen-centric service delivery. Along with city
planning and development authority also need to think about the issue of safety and security of
the city dwellers when they make the neighborhood and detail area plans of the city in ensuring
the quality of urban life.

7.4 Recommendations

Chittagong city is the second-largest and financial capital of Bangladesh. Around

90% of national export and import occur in this port city. More than 11% national GDP also
contributes to this city. Besides, it is one of the fast-growing cities in Bangladesh and around 6
million people currently live in this city. Therefore, the safe and secure movement of the city
dwellers is a crying need. In this background, this dissertation recommends the following issues
to consider in making the city safe and secure for sustainable urban development-

(1) Policy level: The government’s plan and policy concerning urban development and
sustainable urban economic growth play a vital role. Therefore, national policy-level
initiatives were urged. In specific-
 In the urban sector policy, safety and security need to be incorporated and more
emphasis is required in urban design especially following the CPTED concepts.
 Sufficient manpower and logistic support need to ensure by the national
government
 Enough financial budget and technological availability are required from the
central government
 Forming a national-level committee to monitor and evaluate the quality of safety
and security condition of the cities and provision of awarding best performing
city.
 Assure transparency, accountability, responsibility, rule of law, people’s
participation in the urban governance, and above all recruiting honest and
competent personnel to provide service to the city dwellers.
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(2) Institutional: In the urban local governments, every individual institution plays an
important role to make the city functioning and improving the quality of the urban
environment. In this background, several institutions need to come forward to do their duties
and responsibilities properly. Especially-
 Public representatives of urban local government (City Corporation) should do
their duties and responsibilities according to their commitments to their people.
 Bureaucrats of urban local governments need to perform their duties and
responsibilities accordingly and bring transparency and accountability.
 Judiciary needs to be transparent, accountable, and corruption-free to ensure
punishment of perpetrators.
 Law enforcement personnel needs to be competent, responsible, transparent, and
accountable.
 Using modern technology and equipment is essential to install in some crime
hotspots and vulnerable places to monitor the places continuously and taking
lessons from other cities at home and abroad how they are working in bending
their urban street crime.
 Intelligence and counterintelligence are required to monitor the corruption and
bending the trend among the law enforcement personnel.
 City planning and development authority are essential to recruiting enough
manpower to monitor the development activities in the city and strengthen the
capacity to execute the plan that approved the planning authority.

(3) Community: Unity is strength. An urban neighborhood person is a key person who could
contribute a vital role in preventing urban street crime. In developed countries, especially
it was found that community people work more than sixty per cent to solve their
community development issues like building social institutions, eradicating social
problems, disaster mitigation, etc. In bending urban street crime, similarly, community
people could come forward to solve their neighborhood street crime problem. In
particular-
 Making houses, offices, and shops following the building codes and taking
actions if any community member break the building codes
 Helping city planning authority to design and build urban streets according to the
urban design and plan.
 Forming community organization and introduce a community-sponsored security
system in their neighborhood
 Introducing social awareness programs in the social and religious institutions
concerning the cause and effect of street crime
 Taking community initiatives to rehabilitate the vulnerable people and keep a
close eye if anyone derailed and engaging with any criminal activities.

(4) Individual: People of each individual can protect him/her. To save individual lives and
properties, in every society people take personal security measures. In the urban street in
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Chittagong city as well as in other cities at home or abroad, individual or personal level
security measures to keep safe oneself might be-
 Keeping mentally and physically alert at all time to protect self from the
perpetrators
 Based on the affordability of person’s installing CCTV cameras or personal
security to make life & property safe.
 Taking training on self-defense at an early age of life how to safe oneself from
perpetrators, etc.

Figure 7.1 shows the perception of street crime in Chittagong city.

Perception on street crime in

Chittagong city

Residential Business neighborhood

neighborhood area area

1. Theft (73.19%) 1. Snatching (66.67%)

2.Snatrching (60.89%) 2. Theft (65.93%)
3.Drug addiction and illegal drugs dealing 3. Drug addiction and illegal drugs dealing
(58.67%) (61.04%)
4. Eve teasing (58.37%) 4.Political violence (48.44%)

Fear of street crime and its actual

prevalence

Physical environment Social environment Problematic urban design

1.Lonely remote area/hilly/ forest area
(27.56%)
2.Slum area/poor people living area (18.52%)
3. Narrow street/ zigzag street (14.22%)
1. Illiterate people’s living area /lack of
development (36.30%)
2. Low income and high income people
living together (20.44%)
3. Traffic congestion (8.30%)
1.Lack of street light (31.56%)
2.Narrow/ zigzag street pattern (24.15%)
3.Unplanned urbanization (13.93%)

Recommendations for
street crime prevention

Urban planning & design following the concepts Sufficient financial budget, competent manpower
Policy level
of CPTED, and logistic support

Install modern technology and equipment to

prevent street crime such as CCTV cameras, street Transparency, accountability, rule of law, people’s
Institutional
light, plan execution, monitoring and evaluation participation in the urban governance,

Follow the building code and taking action in

violating the act as well as rehabilitate the
vulnerable people
Keeping mentally and physically alert to protect
self from the offenders
Setting up community security system to catch the
Community
offender and rescue the victim.
Self-defense training besides installing CCTV
Individual
camera, personal security system, etc.

Figure 7.1: Perception of street crime in Chittagong city