Majority of citizens give their government poor marks on fighting crime.
Key findings
- Around eight in 10 Seychellois say they "never" felt unsafe while walking in their neighbourhood (80%) or feared crime in their home (83%) during the previous year. The poorest citizens are three to four times more likely to report experiencing insecurity than those who are economically well off.
- One in seven citizens (14%) say they requested police assistance during the previous year. Three times as many (43%) encountered the police in other situations, such as at checkpoints, during identity checks or traffic stops, or during an investigation. Among citizens who asked for help from the police, a narrow majority (52%) say it was easy to get assistance, but 3% say they had to pay a bribe. Among those who encountered the police in other situations, 2% report paying a bribe to avoid problems.
- About one in seven respondents (15%) say that "most" or "all" police are corrupt, the lowest such rating in all 39 countries that Afrobarometer surveyed in 2021/2023.
- Two-fifths (40%) of citizens say they trust the police "somewhat" or "a lot." But three in 10 (30%) say they don't trust the police "at all."
- Majorities say the police at least "sometimes" stop drivers without good reason (54%) and use excessive force with suspected criminals (51%).
- Fewer than a quarter (23%) of respondents believe the police "often" or "always" operate professionally and respect all citizens' rights.
- A majority (57%) of Seychellois are critical of the government's performance on reducing crime.
Despite outscoring most African countries across multiple performance indicators in Afrobarometer surveys (Krönke, Isbell, & Kakumba, 2024), including corruption and police brutality, the Seychelles Police Force faces public criticism for its professional conduct.
A Transparency Initiatives Seychelles (2019) survey investigating perceptions of corruption ranked the police force as the country's most corrupt institution. Reports indicate that bribery and collusion hinder the fight against drug abuse and trafficking, one of the country's top problems (Bird, Stanyard, Moonien, & Randrianarisoa, 2021). Civil society organisations have also complained about the police force using excessive force, harassing citizens, and abusing its power, allegations that have been corroborated in official reports (Association for Rights, Information and Democracy, 2020; Duval, 2021).
In its Strategic Plan 2023-2025, the police force details ways to improve its efficiency and rebuild public trust. The plan contains 15 recommendations to professionalise the police force, including by improving training, restructuring the Anti-Narcotics Bureau, and introducing specialised tourism police (Gappy, 2021).
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This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021/2023) questionnaire to explore Africans' experiences and assessments of police professionalism.
Most Seychellois say they feel safe in their neighbourhoods and homes, although poor citizens are more likely to experience insecurity than those who are better off. Public perceptions of widespread police corruption are lower in Seychelles than in any of the other 38 African countries that Afrobarometer surveyed in 2021/2023.
Despite these positive findings, fewer than half of Seychellois express trust in the police, and only about one-fourth say the police generally operate in a professional manner and respect all citizens' rights. Majorities say the police stop drivers without good reason and use excessive force with suspected criminals. And only a small share of people approve of the government's crime-fighting efforts.
Anne Okello Anne is the assistant project manager for East Africa
