Follow Us on Google
As a result of the growing insecurity across the country, the Federal Government has given the nod for the implementation of community policing. Consequently, the government has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to commence a nationwide recruitment of 40,000 Community Policing Officers (CPOs) from the 774 local government areas. Not less than 50 CPOs will be recruited from each local government area. Those to be recruited must be between the age of 21 and 50.
The government’s latest directive on community policing, which the IGP thinks will take policing to the grassroots, came on the heels of the launching of Operation Amotekun, the security outfit of the six states in the South-West region to check the explosion in criminal activities in the zone.
Northern groups have also unveiled a regional security outfit, Operation Shege ka fasa in Kaduna to tackle kidnapping and banditry in the zone. The South-East governors have also hinted of establishing a security outfit for the region. It is also likely that the South-South will soon unveil its own version of Amotekun security outfit.
Since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, there has been steady rise in criminal activities across the country. The Nigeria Police Force, with about 371,800 personnel, has not been able to weather the storm. All plans to increase the numerical strength of the force to 650,000 have not been successful.
The situation has necessitated the strident calls by notable Nigerians for the decentralisation of policing. Following the escalation of crimes in the country in recent times, many Nigerians have made case for the establishment of state or community policing across the country. Most Nigerians believe that the centralised policing system has not been able to check escalating insecurity.
They believe also that a community approach to securing the country is what Nigeria needs at this point in time. However, for community policing to work, the regional security outfits recently unveiled in the country and others yet to take off should be part of it. We say this because having uncoordinated security outfits will not augur well for the country. Those to be recruited for community policing should be members of that community or those conversant with the area. Apart from being properly screened, they should also be adequately trained and remunerated.
It should never be a volunteer service that will depend on allowances alone as being mooted in some quarters. It should be factored into the normal policing with all its benefits. The people of the community must have confidence in those recruited for community policing. They should be good and honest people.
Those recruited for community policing should on no account bully those under them. Before the take off of the envisaged community policing, there is need for sustained sensitisation programme on what the concept is all about and how the community can contribute to effective community policing.
Since intelligence gathering is an integral part of policing generally, members of the community must be carried along. It must be pointed out that community policing has been used in other countries to check security challenges. Ours will never be different.
We can learn one or two things from those countries where community policing has worked. In different parts of Nigeria, local vigilance groups are assisting the police in crime control. These groups, including Hisbah, and the newly floated Amotekun, should be fully integrated into the scheme.
It is worrisome that the communication gap between the police and the public is so wide that members of the public are often reluctant to report crimes to the police, or stand as witnesses in courts. They also believe that the police will divulge such confidential information to those involved, thereby endangering their lives.
We believe that the police, including those for community policing, must, at all times, protect those that divulge intelligence to them. It is good that their identities must be protected at all times. The federal, state and local governments must ensure the successful implementation of the planned community policing. It should go beyond government’s rhetoric. Let it be implemented this time round.
The modalities for operating community policing must be clearly spelt out before its commencement. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to make it work.
