Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has direct the Advisory Committee on Community Policing to commence screening and recruitment of individual citizens to serve as constabulary in the state.
The governor gave the directive on Wednesday in Gusau while inaugurating the state advisory committee saddled with responsibility of overall supervision of community policing in the state.
Matawalle said Community Policing was a strategy of Policing that placed emphasis on building relationships and working closely with members of the communities to bridge communication between community and security agents.
The goals also aimed at building ties and relationships with the community through interactions with local agencies and members of the police, creating partnerships and strategies for reducing crime and disorder.
Community Policing puts society and quality of living as a priority, as against the traditional policing which places emphasis on arrest and prosecution.
Also speaking the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Muhammad Adamu, directed all commissioners of Police to consult with the Governors of their respective states with a view to inaugurating the state Community policing Advisory Committee.
The IGP, represented by Muhammad Mustapha, Assistant Inspector General in charged of Sokoto Zone 10 (AIG), said the concept of community Policing might be viewed as newly-developed policy.
He explained that in the position of the law the term had been enshrined in our laws from time immemorial.
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According to him, Police Act and Regulations CAP P19 has outlined the establishment of community Policing through appointment of special constabulary known as special constables.
He stated that the law was extensively outlined from section 49 to 52 of the police Act and of particular attention to section 50 (2&3) which conferred on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria power to fix on the recommendation of police council the maximum number of persons at anytime that can be appointed as special constables.
Mustapha also said that section 50 (4) assigned the power to the Inspector-General of Police subject to approval of the president to fix maximum number of special constables in various territories and what particular rank to assign them.
“The recent incidents of armed banditry, armed robbery and kidnapping most especially in Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Katsina and Zamfara have prompted the need for the full and speedy enrollment of community Policing strategy across the country.
The plan will involve the setting of community Policing Committees (CPCs) at the ward, local government and states level.
“The Committees will identify credible and suitable citizens from across each locality for the appointment as special constables who will serve as Community policing officers.”
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inaugural event was held in isolation only attended by the representative of IGP, CP, GOC and Emir of Anka who is the committees chairman.
