By Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, has described partnership as the cornerstone of community policing.

Adamu stated this during the inauguration of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Board of Trustees, Women and Youth Committees in Abuja.

The IGP said despite our pluralistic society, every honest Nigerian, wants to be safe from crime and wants his or her property protected and these are grounds for which the police must seek collaboration of citizens.

Adamu, who was represented by Commissioner of Police, Kola Okunlola, said in refocusing on community policing, they have reached out to the Nigerian community, far deeper than any other administration, by creating advisory committees from the state to community levels.

He said this was deliberate as they are creating the atmosphere for the citizens and other stakeholders to be involved in identifying problems that border on security and other life issues in their localities and develop appropriate responses to them.

He described the PCRC as a major driver of community policing practice in Nigeria since it was established in 1984, adding that the inauguration will add value to their partnership.

He said also inaugurating the national women and youth committees was a healthy development, as these two groups are critical stakeholders in the community policing policy thrust.

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He assured the PCRC of police support.

Adamu said the transition from traditional policing to community policing is a global phenomenon and the Nigeria Police Force cannot be an exception.

“Traditionally policing is a reactionary and incident based, while community policing is proactive and problem solving oriented. With the community as the corner stone of policing objectives, the approach is to focus on constructive engagement of people, who are the end users of policing and quality police service,” he said.

Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, said the PCRC has a lot of work to do to prevent a lot of the misconception and communication gap that exist within the populace about the police.

Dingyadi, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, said police reform was important to the present administration and this is evident from the number of actions taken so fact like reintroduction of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the endorsement of the Police Act 2020, among others.

National Chairman of the PCRC, Dr Faruk Abdullahi Maiyama, said they were in solidarity with and expressed confidence in the leadership of IGP Mohammed Adamu, in his efforts to reposition the Nigeria Police.

He said in order to make PCRC in tune with the current realities and support the IGP’s efforts that it was decided Board of Trustees, Women and Youth Committee, be appointed and inaugurated.

This, he said, is to empower, support, and enable PCRC members to meet their constitutional obligations of sourcing and providing credible intelligence to the police and other security agencies.

Maiyama said the PCRC since its inception, has been discharging its responsibilities creditably, despite many challenges and insufficient resources.

He said the PCRC has been in support of the establishment of the Police Trust Fund, Police Reform Act, Community Policing as well as advocated improvement of the welfare of police personnel as well as channeling public complaints to police authorities at all levels.

He said, in view of prevailing security challenges and with the IGP’s efforts to embark on intelligence driven community policing, there is the need train and bring all PCRC members up to speed with the current security trends.

He called on PCRC commands at all levels to establish similar committees for improved sourcing and provision of credible intelligence to the police.

He also called on state governors to include PCRC members in the proposed security and human right committee, in view of the PCRC’s vast experience in their interactions with the police.

Also the Minister of Police Affairs, the Police Service Commission and the IGP, were urged to ensure that the PCRC is represented in their public oriented committees.

He also appealed to the Ministry of Police Affairs to hasten the completion of the abandoned PCRC national secretariat in Abuja to ease its duties and responsibilities.

National Publicity Secretary of the PCRC, Dr Usman Tukur Garo, also urged officers and men of the Nigeria Police to ensure effective implementation of community policing initiative of the IGP by incorporating capable personalities that can deliver.

This, Garo said, will go a long way in ensuring a crime free society.