Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, yesterday, said the Nigeria Police Force is focused at institutionalising community policing as key framework in crime fighting in the country.
He added that community policing was a strategic philosophy aimed at strengthening police community partnership, symbiotic relationship between the police and members of the public.
He stated this in Benin City, Edo State at a South-South zonal mass sensitisation of members of the public on community policing with the theme: Understanding Community Policing: A Framework for Action.
Adamu, who was represented by Assistant Inspector-General Police (AIG) Zone 6, Zaki Ahmed, said community policing was a problem solving technique aimed at improving police service delivery to members of the public.
“It is a problem solving technique with a view to improving service delivery to the public as part of the police duty in the protection of life and property. It is a people-oriented crime solving strategy, which also involves innovation for addressing community concerns.
“Community policing is designed to set a new partnership and cooperation between the police and the people.”
It is aimed at bringing the police to the grassroots, involve stakeholders and encourage participation in every instrument of security and safety, which affects all strata of society,” he said.
On his part, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, expressed the state government readiness in partnering with the police to secure life and property through community policing.
Obaseki, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Phillip Shuaibu, said in partnering with the police, community leaders have a major role to play, adding: “Edo has been in the forefront of community policing and has been advocating it.”
Earlier, a facilitator of the programme, Issa Aremu, said with rising insecurity in the country, community policing had become a necessity, adding that Nigeria needed to stop agonising and tackle insecurity aggressively.
