By Olasunkanmi Ope (Anipr)
Community Policing NOT State policing is the solution to incessant cases of ethnic, religious and militia and terrorism.
You will ONLY succeed in creating confusion by establishing state police. It will not only increase spate of killings but also escalate recurring attacks on innocent citizens and other government agencies.
Like it’s name, Community Policing deals with effective partnership between the Police as an institution and their host communities. The workability of such synergy is seen today across length and breadth of some states. Neighbourhood Watch in Lagos, So-Safe Corps in Ogun state, to mention a few.
More Area Police Commands should be established with officers deployed to their regions, zones or states. This is to further bridge the gap between the Police and the peoole. Seventy per cent of the Inspectors/Rank and File MUST be indigenes of the state, they may not necessarily be posted to their local governments, in order to stem the tide of Conspiracy, Aiding/Aibeting, Accessory before and After the Fact.
Community Heads be giving roles in the constitution and be made liable to any crime committed in their domain without proper accountability. The PCRC, CDA and CDCs are major partners in the fight against terrorism and crimes alike. The DPO becomes Chairman of the Security Forum which includes Traditional Rulers, Members of Community Associations, Youth Groups and other critical Stakeholders. Each Traditional Ruler oversees affair of his domain, monitors activities and reports to the forum who sits on weekly basis.
Community Policing takes power away from the Political Class and vests power in the people. This is because the recruitment, screening and recommendation comes from the Community. Politicians will obviously not have a chance to bring together their party loyalists, camp them somewhere and call them Police Officers. This is why ALL POLITICIANS WILL NOT SUPPORT COMMUNITY POLICING but will insist on STATE POLICE.
State Police in a multi ethnic, multi religious and volatile Nigeria of today will not only cause crises/violence but also lead to ethnic/religious war in the shortest time. Going by the spread of each ethnic group in areas outside their states of origin, There may be deep Ethnic and religious crises.
Let me add that, State Police will be avenue for a section or some sections of the country to perfect their Conspiracy Theory to ensure disintegration of Nigeria. Asides that, Funding State Police will be cumbersome for a financial crises ridden Nigeria. State Police will also be an avenue for Politicians to settle scores. Since a sitting Governor is the Chief Security Officer, it will automatically be an opportunity to punish and reign terror on his opponents. This is because he oversees recruitment and payment of salaries to those so employed.
It is my candid view that we consider Community Policing to be built on effective Intelligence-led policing which will involve community heads and members of the community development committee/association.
Olasunkanmi Ope is a Senior Police Officer, Investigative Officer, Communicator and Public Relations Officer.
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