The Lagos State Police Command yesterday set up three different community policing committees in all the Area Commands across the metropolis as it intensifies its war against crime.
The committees are saddled with the responsibility of interfacing between the Command and the local communities, and to also gather intelligence that would help curb violent crimes.
The exercise took place simultaneously across the 14 Area Commands in the state.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Ahmed Iliyasu, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, at the inauguration, mentioned the new set-ups as the Area Command Community Policing Advisory committee, Local Government Advisory committee and Divisional Community Policing committee.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had earlier inaugurated the State Community Policing Advisory Committee and State Community Policing Committee.
Iliyasu explained that the police committees would be responsible for driving the community policing policies and strategies approved by the federal government.
He said the development was a partnership between the police and the various communities to fight crime and other social issues/disorders.
“The community policing model being envisioned for Nigeria is one that draws on the legal opportunities provided by the Police Act for the engagement of Special Constables, who will serve as Community Policing Officers under the coordination of the Nigeria Police towards evolving a community-focused policing architecture.
“This is necessitated by the fact that crime is community-based and a community-based approach is required to effectively address it. In other words, local problems should be given local solutions.”
