By MATEEN BADRU

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, on Tuesday emphasised the need for a proactive policing to keep the state safe.

Alabi, while explaining his security vision to journalists during a media parley at the Police Officers’ Mess, Ikeja, GRA, said there was the need for a change in the face of policing.

The police commissioner, while emphasising the importance of intelligence gathering for a proactive policing, said the police would build more trust in the people so that information could be volunteered with no fear.

“We need to build trust so that people can give information without fear. I told DPOs and Area Commanders recently that they should lecture their men on the change in the face of policing.

“They should see the people as their friends who need them and not as enemies. With that, they will share information with the police easily.

“When you mingle and socialise regularly, there is no way the people won’t embrace you but it will be at your own detriment if you isolate yourself just because of uniform,” he said.

The police boss recalled that he had assured Lagos residents of “visibility policing“ which is a strong message to criminal elements to relocate from the state.

He, however, added that his proactive policing architecture would be incomplete if the response time of policemen to distress calls was not improved on.

Alabi said that the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and other police formations in the state would be strengthened to reduce crime to a minimal level.

“We will strengthen the RRS and other police formations to respond promptly to distress calls. We want to improve on our response time because there is the belief that police do not respond on time.

“They say when you call police, it will take them time to respond but this time around we are trying to see how we can Improve on our response time so that a situation where something happens, we can respond promptly,” he said.

The Lagos CP further assured residents that policemen would respect human rights under his watch as there would be no room for illegal arrests or illegal detention.

He condemned extortion and noted that bail was free. He also urged policemen not to earn living by victimising members of the public.

“I have already sent signal to that effect, under my watch i will not tolerate anybody being molested, embarrassed or maltreated unjustifiably but if somebody is a criminal we have the right to arrest him but not necessary to hurt or harass him.

“We can arrest with minimal force permissible by the law. Furthermore, I said my men’s conduct would be watched. We are going to monitor the conduct of our men. We are not going to allow them to exhibit unprofessional conduct or unethical conduct.

“Police will now be more friendly. How do you partner with the police when they are not friendly, the only way you can succeed is by community policing, by earning the trust of the public by constant engagement with community-based stakeholders.

Alabi also commended newsmen adding that he would not hesitate to collaborate with them to achieve the aim of the police command, which is to have a peaceful state. (NAN)

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