Would you pass information to police?

In most african countries when you file a complaint against someone, for the police to take any action you need to provide them with a means of transport and in most cases it is in a form of cash, you always have to pay to get any feed back from them and after a month or two when you are tied of paying they tell you for lack of evidence they have to let him or go. it is imperative that every citizen does his or her civic duty which includes reporting crime but if it comes to naught, what’s the point.

That is quite a good development!
But the biggest challenge is the safety of the people volunteering to give that iformation!
Otherwise, there is no way the police can stop crimes without involving the masses!
On most occasions where people feel betrayed by police not to respond to their cries, they resort to mob justice and manslaughter!
I too can volunteer to give iformation to the police!

The jail isn't meant for the guilty in Africa, but for the poor and the rich criminal will continue to move around scot free as long as he remains richer than the law enforcement officer. All say 'bribe'!

Crime prevention is everybody’s concern, the police can only succeed if they get actionable intelligence from the public. However, family ties impedes and beclouds people judgement hence refusing to make valuable information available to the police. Another dimension to the problem is the nature of the crime: I don’t believe my country men will report any member of their family who is stealing from the public coffers, infact, they are encouraged. The other issue is the family member concern: no family member will report the bread winner of the family to the police or they die of hunger, call it morality of the stomach if you like.

When in Africa I remember a case where a man was harassing a woman on the street, chasing after her, trying to touch her in-appropriately, it ended with a mob forming and tar was poured on him and chicken feathers from the a market close by were used on him, then he was jeered and followed as he left to return to wherever he was going, it was a big story and highlight of peoples week. I came to the UK and quickly realised this is called mob justice, but many would argue it's people being observant and vigilant of behavior that is in-appropriate in that society and acting to resolve the matter. As I look it, it would cost time of the woman to go to the police, report the matter, police time to investigate who this man was, court time to prosecute, not to mention the money involved to achieve these things. So I think for clear cut cases perhaps mob justice of this nature can resolve things. However, I'm not advocating hanging the offender, as the purnishment needs to suit the offence.