NPP trains police officers on community policing

The Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP) has trained men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) on community policing to combat crime and boost security.

The two weeks training, organised by the NPP and funded by the British Council, had 13 police inspectors, who were drawn from Borno, Kano and Enugu, trained on basic policing skills, intelligence led policing, ethics of policing, community and democratic policing.

The programme tagged ‘Training of Trainers’, according to the Senior Policing Adviser, NPP, Paul Morisetti, focuses on filling noticeable gaps in service delivery by the police officers, while the trained officers, would adapt and replicate the trainings to suit the policing demands of their respective states’ divisions.

Morisetti said the exercise would further enhance the officers’ understanding of democratic and community oriented policing that would aid police gain communities trust and confidence and ensure communication flow easily between both parties for effective tackling of crimes.

Also speaking on the objectives of the programme in strengthening security in communities, the Technical Adviser to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Prof. Olu Ogunsakin said the training was necessary to engage the communities to assist the police in preventing, solving crime and sustain the peace.

Ogunsakin stressed that the number of policemen presently in Nigeria cannot meet all the needs of every communities, adding that collaboration between the police and communities in information gathering would ensure peaceful and secured environment.

“The communities would be able to tell the police about problems and issues and once there is trust, the communities can then give out information,” he said.

Commending the programme, Inspector Kenneth Emegwamor of the Police Training School, Ikeja, Lagos said with the training, the police force would map out plans to extend the training to every officer, to enable them communicate with members of the communities, who know perpetrators of criminal activities that live among them, but lack confidence in giving out information to the Police Force.