PCRC launches traffic marshals in Victoria Island

In a bid to rid Victoria Island and its environs in Lagos State of crime and gridlock, the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has launched its traffic corps marshals last week during its first quarterly symposium.

At the launch, a university don, Dr. Ona Ekhoma in his speech said residents must trust the police with information about crime and criminals to achieve a crime-free state through community policing.

He said: “Community policing is anchored on a productive relationship between the patrol officers and the community members as well as interacting with community members to finding problems and solving problems.

“Having a PCRC is not community policing, and in order to establish trust and obtain citizens’ cooperation, the police must eschew all trust busters and become a trustworthy agency.”

Chairman of PCRC, Victoria Island, Mr. Mathew Ibadin, said the vision of the group is to serve as a platform to synergise the security activities of various corporate bodies, organizations and individuals towards the creation of unified architecture for Victoria Island.

“Today, we have launched the traffic corps who are going to be on our payroll because we want to make sure our environment is safe and crime-free,” he said.

While representing the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, AIG Ahmed Illiyasu, ACP Bose Akinyemi, said citizens should support the police on community policing while also calling on the officers to befriend the people in the community so as to get useful information to tackle crime.