To sustain its efforts at curbing crime, the Zone 2 Police Command says it will strive to motivate its officers and men and apply new technology in fighting the menace this year.

AIG Bala Hassan made the assertion while reviewing how the police reduced crime in the zone during the Yuletide with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

“We are going to motivate our officers and men by taking care of their welfare and try to create more platforms which the people could use to alert the police about crime.

“We want to motivate the men to serve the public better and we are creating more platforms.

“I know the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, has launched ‘Flash Alert’ that will assist members of the public to report crime but we are going beyond that now.

“We are going to have a ‘Flash Alert’ that even if you don’t know or have any number, once you are attacked you press any part of your phone, and it will send signal to the control room.

“We are also looking at other areas whereby your phone is not close to you and you are attacked, you can shout and your phone will send a distress signal to the control room.

“There and then officers will come and assist you as it will inform them about your location.

“Once you do that, you have helped us to reduce the time we use to attend to distress calls and once criminals know they no longer have enough time to operate, criminality reduces.”

On the use of technology, the AIG said that the police would use it to ensure that it was difficult for criminals to get across to innocent members of the public.

“We request the banks and other commercial institutions to ensure that effective Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are installed in their premises.

“If anybody commits crime and runs away, we will have the video and record of how to trace the person.

“So, all banks, financial houses, Shoprite and other shopping malls should ensure that cameras are installed in their work places.

“If there is a robbery, we will have a record of it in our system that is what I want to enjoin Lagosians to do for us.

“They will also ensure that they have records of movements within and outside their institutions to help us see to who comes in and goes out of the various institutions.”

He recalled that he had done something like flash alert while he was the Commissioners of Police in Edo.

“I had some youths who were experienced in information technology and I tasked them to develop sophisticated software, and this one maybe ahead of what we have in Lagos presently.

“In this one you don’t have to dial any number, you just press any part of your phone or you shout at the top of your voice and it sends a distress signal.

“This will send signal to our control rooms and you will have quick response from our men, which is our major plan for 2016.”

The AIG also said that crime was reduced during the period under review because of the measures put in place in the zone.

He said that there was safety on the roads while people travelled for the Christmas and New Year celebrations because the zone deployed 15 patrol vehicles each in Lagos State and Ogun.

“The measure under the operation ‘Safer Highways’ of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, ensured the people were protected and travelling safe.

“Under the safer highways, we provide for the policemen things that will make them not to stop vehicles and ask for money even though it may be small, including provisions so that they will not be hungry.”

He noted that at every inter-change on the highways, there was police presence in the two states

“The 186 patrol vehicles recently donated by the Lagos State Government were also deployed to strategic places in the state.

“The presence of the police everywhere sent fear into the criminals as they knew that they will be caught on the least attempt to commit crime.

“I urge members of the public to have the numbers of the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Area Commanders, the commissioner of police and the control room.

“I want them to know that police officers are willing to assist them in distress.” (NAN)

•Photo shows AIG Bala Hassan.

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