The Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 17, covering Ondo and Ekiti States, Mr. Ajani Omolabi, has stated that police officers in the zone have adopted a more civil approach in their interactions with the public to enhance modern policing and improve crime-fighting efficiency.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Akure, Omolabi said the shift toward a community-oriented approach had fostered better relationships with residents and facilitated the flow of information essential for law enforcement.
“The police have become civil rather than being bossy. We are now civil to the people we are working with. We come to their level, engage them, and we understand one another,” he said. “It also helps us to get information easily from them. And also, the robust way of bringing ourselves to the community level, the open-door policy, has helped us.”
Omolabi noted that seminars and lectures conducted for officers in both commands emphasised the importance of transparency, openness, and professionalism in police work.
He said these initiatives encouraged officers to engage directly with communities and to prioritise protecting informants.
“I have held seminars and lectures with them. And this is always what I advocate, that we should be closer to the community in our workplace and on the issue of giving information to the police,” he said.
“I have also had meetings with many communities, telling them that they should go directly to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or even come to the Commissioner of Police or AIG, go and give your information. We are not far away from the people we are working with and whoever is giving us information, we make sure we protect such person.”
Omolabi reiterated that police personnel were encouraged to pursue further education, particularly in law, to enhance the quality of investigations and prosecutions. “What we are practising now is professionalism. So when we are talking of prosecution, we have experts who know the law. Those are the people who are helping us, so we are not losing cases because we know that evidence is crucial in prosecution,” he said.
The AIG also emphasised that disciplinary measures are strictly enforced for misconduct among officers, noting that both junior and senior personnel are held accountable.
“We don’t spare our men. You know, to discipline a police officer, that of a senior officer is different from that of a junior officer. Police are the only organisation, as far as civil service is concerned, that don’t hide anyone among them. When you mistakenly do anything and it’s costly, we ensure we apply the rules and regulations that guide our job,” he said.
He added that exemplary officers are rewarded with promotions or cash incentives to motivate professional conduct. “We also reward those who perform their duty without being fearful. Some are promoted, some are given cash rewards, just to encourage others and all of us to ensure that we do what we’re supposed to do,” Omolabi stated.
The Assistant Inspector-General further called on members of the public to view the police as partners in maintaining safety and encouraged them to use the open-door channels available to report complaints or provide information.
(NAN)
