Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has stressed the need for robust synergy between the police and the people to free the state of crimes and criminalities.
Eribo also advised officers and men of the command to prioritize self-discipline as watchwords and avoid being caught in the web of human rights abuses.
The CP stated this at the Ado Ekiti Police Area Command where he rounded off his familiarisation tour of Divisional Headquarters and Area Commands in the state.
The Ekiti police boss who called for information gathering and sharing between the police and people, described such collaboration as a form of community policing which can help to surpass the United Nations’ recommended police personnel to citizens ratio.
Eribo also held interactive session with the Igbo and Hausa communities as well as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Okada riders’ unions aside from separate meeting with officers and men of the Area Command.
He said, “I am calling for your collaboration, support, synergy amongst us for us to make our city, our state a very calm, peaceful, secured and safer environment, for us all to go about our duties without threat, fear and hindrance from any angle.
“And if we do this, it is simply part of what we call community policing, because we have come to realise that we cannot do it all alone. The population is growing geometrically and in terms of the United Nations recommended police-to-population ratio, we are not there yet, but notwithstanding, with all of us working together, we can surpass that ration.”
Eribo noted that police officers cannot be everywhere at the same time, as such, police rely on stakeholders in every community to get vital information that can be used to curb criminal activities in the communities.
“The criminals are not spirits, they live amongst us and they are known to most of us; but most times, we shy away from doing the needful as long as we are not affected. For some people, it is probably for the fear that it may boomerang,” he noted.
The CP cautioned that everyone becomes victims of crime when allowed to fester and spread, noting whatever affects one’s neighbour indirectly affects them.
He added that crimes keeps spreading when people refused to speak out. “If we work together we will nip criminalities in the bud by arresting criminals, investigate, prosecute them and send them to where they belong which is the prison yard.”
He urged the stakeholders to partner with the police as brothers’ keeper to the community and friends to the police. “Police are not perfect and we can’t claim to be so. Wherever we err, let us know, we have enough punitive measures to curtail our excesses. Complain to us and we will take action.
“When you have vital information, you can give it to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Area Commander, and other senior officers even at the state level, including the CP. You can call and send messages to them.”
On his meeting with police officers, CP Eribo said, “They know what is good and the issue of discipline is sacrosanct.”
He reminded the personnel on the imperative of respecting citizens’ rights and obeying police laws and regulations as well as compliance with the Inspector General of Police’s internet and social media policy.
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