By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, has described community policing as the cornerstone of security structure required for peace and tranquility in the country.
Balogun said security problem degenerated in the country because community policing had been treated with kid’s glove.
He spoke on Wednesday in Ilorin at a sensitisation programme on community policing organised by the Kwara State command of the Nigeria Police.
The former police boss faulted the abandonment of community policing after he left office.
He said he had, while in office, introduced the policing system when he discovered that it was what the country needed to enjoy a security that guarantees peace and tranquility.
The former IGP who said community policing was a secret of the security many developed countries enjoy expressed delight that it was now being reintroduced in the country.
He said the #EndSARS protest would not have happened if there had been community policing and effective interelationship among all stakeholders without communication gap.
Balogun mentioned advantages of the policing to include being proactive, probleming solving and cost effectiveness.
“If you spend N1 as an input on community policing, what you will earn as an output will be more than N100,” he said.
The former police chief said the police, the community, the government and traditional ruling institutions have important roles to play and have to maintain, among themselves, a synergy if security in the country is to be more effective.
He said the police must be more professional and humane, the community should give police required support and cooperation, the government should give the police enough encouragement and provide a constitutional role for the traditional rulers in the maintenance of security in communities.
Also speaking at the occasion, Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, stressed a need for traditional rulers to be accorded constitutional roles.
The governor said the rulers are the closest to the grassroots and are better legally engaged with certain things related to the masses.
“I have always said that the traditional rulers are the fourth tier of government, their duties encompass all we do in our society.
“We have always been grateful to them because I receive calls daily from them on security issues, not just giving information but also curbing civil disturbances like we recently had in Ilesha Baruba. In that community, there was a civil disturbance earlier and the Emir singlehandedly calmed the situation and ensured that the community is safe. We deeply appreciate his efforts on what he did.
“In the last meeting of Northern Governors held in Kaduna, there was the idea that the roles of the traditional rulers should be amplified and embedded into the constitution. This means that we should give them constitutional roles in the society. That is an ongoing process, and I am a supporter of this initiative.”
The Governor reiterated his support for community policing which he described as long due to strengthen security of lives and priorities.
“Community policing is an idea that is long due. It helps to localise policing, brings security architecture closer to the grassroots, and gets a more robust buy-in of the people. It relies almost entirely on local intelligence and constant interactions with community folks to succeed. However, it is important to state that the success of community policing depends on all of us seeing it as our baby that must be nurtured to success,” he said.
“I therefore urge every stakeholder to support the initiative. As an administration, we are wholeheartedly committed to community policing and will continue to mobilise public support for it.”
In his own speech, former Inspector General of Police, Aliu Attah, observed that the existing policing system had been grossly criticized for poor performance because of its inability to meet some expectations, a development he attributed largely to inadequate manpower and funding.
He said when community policing fully comes to play, it will generate employment, reduce youth restiveness, and minimise crimes.
“When a community policing system is introduced, most communities who have not felt the presence of government in their localities would at least know the government has come to them as they will have representation who will be concerned about their safety,” he said.
In his address, the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bagega, described the programme as a watershed and a radical renewed approach in the implementation of community policing strategy as espoused by the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu.
He added that criminal activities in the nation now require pragmatic approach and support of all and sundry to curtail.
He said the principle of community policing is the best option to ensure crime management and control, adding that with robust relationship between the police and other stakeholders in the state, crime management and control would be achieved.