The federal government has approved the immediate full implementation of community policing strategy nationwide to combat the new trend of insecurity in the land most especially in the Northern parts of the country.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday at the strategic Police Manager’ meeting held on how to strategise on the modalities for the implementation of the policy.
He said, “The recent incidents of armed banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery most especially in Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Katsina and the Zamfara states have prompted the need for the full and speedy roll-out of the community policing strategies across the country.
“Accordingly, as conceptualised, formulated, and approved by the government, the current effort will be citizen-centred and driven by each member of the community. The plan will involve the setting up of community policing committees (CPCs) at the ward, local government, and state levels including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Committee, when inaugurated, is to identify credible and suitable citizens from across each locality for appointment as Special Constables who will serve as community policing officers (CPOs).
“The Committees are also expected to identify security challenges. The CPOs are to deal with and resolve low-level security issues without necessarily resorting to police stations unless the issues are of serious legal and security consequences and require police intervention. The idea is to improve the capacity of communities to develop solutions to local security problems working closely with their local police.”
He further lamented the increasing sophisticated and enterprising criminal threats, noting that Police alone doesn’t have the exclusive capacity to solely manage the security threats.
“The success of the Community Policing initiative in Nigeria, like in other policing climes, depends largely on the extent to which strategic Police managers, particularly state commissioner of police, arrest commanders and divisional Police officers understand its concept and practice.
“At no time had our nation require our dedication, commitment, resilience and professionalism than now.”
The IGP stated that the meeting was called to “expose senior officers in the Force to the concert and the implementation plan of community policing strategy as well the modalities for the vetting of personalities that would be members of the community policing committees with a view to ensuring that only credible and suitable persons were appointed into the committees.”
He changed the officers and men of the Force to continue to provide courageous and knowledge-driven leadership required to advance the attainment of the nation’s internal security.
Adamu appealed to all citizens, especially the governors, to continue to support and partner with the Nigeria Police Force in the implementation of the policing strategy across the country.
He said that was the only way to present a common front for the eventual defeat the nation’s common enemy still parading themselves as bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and amongst others.
Meanwhile, the police hierarchy has launched the Annual Police Week schedule to take place in April 2020, with the theme: Partnering With the Citizens for a Safer Community.
