By RUTH OKETUNDE

A Nigerian, Dr Aminu Audu, has been appointed as the Merseyside Independent Advisory Group in the United Kingdom (UK).

The group, comprising members of a community, advises the police in that country on matters including stop and search practices, police training and crime statistics.

A statement by the Chair of the Advisory Group, Sharon Williams, says that Audu’s appointment is based on his rich research in community policing that has impacted on the UK.

“Members are independent to the police but all have a vested interest in Merseyside and supporting those living, working and visiting the region.

“Like the police, they prioritise community safety but aim to do this by improving and challenging the police service.

“Members of the group have different specialisations and life experience, from working with the homeless to representing hard to reach communities,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Audu joined the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool, teaching seminars on the community and problem of crime.

His book, Police Corruption and Community Policing in Nigeria: A Sociological Case Study, was based on his Ph.D research at Liverpool, UK.

In it, he recommended that the police in Nigeria should be better paid and trained and that public be encouraged to trust the police enough to report crimes to them. (NAN)

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