Poverty and Crime in Fort Portal Municipality, Kabarole District

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on poverty and crime whose general objective was to establish the extent to which poverty has led to increased crime in Fort portal municipality. Three specific objectives guided the study and these were; to assess the impact of poverty on crime in Fort portal municipality, to identify the causes of high crime rates amongst the people of Fortortal municipality and to establish possible measures on how to reduce crime in Fort portal. The study used a descriptive design which was explanatory in nature and was based on quantitative and qualitative approaches. It covered a sample of sixty respondents. The data instruments used were the questionnaires and interviews. Findings revealed that the prevalence of poverty in Fortportal is relatively high and the resultant impact is the issue of increased crime like shoplifting, theft, drug abuse, and prostitution, among others. The main causes of increased crime were unemployment, drug abuse, and corruption of which poverty is said to be a major determinant. Therefore, the creation of employment opportunities should be a priority by the government to ensure that at least the majority of the people, youths in particular have jobs. Efforts should also be geared towards fighting corruption among the authorities such that criminals are legally punished and the law is enforced efficiently.