DIG advocates community policing as antidote to insecurity

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Research and Planning, Valentine Ntomchukwu, has advocated for community policing and culture as basis for lasting peace in Nigeria.

The former CP of Bayelsa and Ogun State made the call at the 6th edition of Ihiala Cultural day celebration, which held at Ihiala House, Ijesa, Lagos.The DIG told The Guardian that, “Culture and religion are very essential for uniting the people and making the identity of the people known; culture is identity while religion helps our way of life.

“Culture also enhances community policing, that is, looking after one another, thereby fostering good relationship; partnership is about unifying the people as well as problem solving.”

He noted that, “when people unite, they form common front, create platform to achieve anything, including security. Community policing is the trend so far in modern world because it’s made up of two components, partnership with people and problem solving; when you partner, you identify problem and solve them so, community policing is well suited, in fact, it’s imbedded in the culture of the people.

He allayed the fears that politicians could abuse community police, saying: “Every person that lives in a community is a stakeholder, whether you are a politician or ordinary citizen; the common purpose is to prevent crime and neighbourhood disorder.”