By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali, has urged police special constabulary to operate within the ambit of the law and privileges establishing community policing in the country.

Alkali gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open a two day capacity building workshop for stakeholders of community policing within the South-East geo-political zone.

The police boss, represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Research and Planning, Mr John Amadi, warned them to desist from any act capable of destabilising the community policing implementation process.

According to him, the police special constabulary is a voluntary position and does not have any remuneration attached to it.

He noted that the clarification came against the backdrop of several unnecessary protests by police special constabulary personnel in some parts of the country.

The IGP noted that officers and personnel, who are not recruited under the Police Service Act, were expected to partner and complement the efforts of the police as volunteers in safeguarding their respective communities.

“I must commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his presidential wisdom in approving and adopting the community policing model as an internal security strategy for the whole country,” he said.

The IGP, however, expressed hope that the full actualisation of the programme would help strengthen understanding and renew confidence between the police and the community.

A retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, who is one of the resource persons, identified lack of trust, inadequate funding and government policy summersault as factors militating against the successful implementation of community policing.

Speaking, the Traditional Ruler of Amaowo community in Imo State, Eze Peter Njemanza, said the involvement of traditional rulers in the initiative would go a long way in ensuring its prospective success.

Njemanza also appealed to the Federal Government to consider some form of remuneration to the special police constabulary to boost their current efficiency.

The workshop attracted stakeholders of community policing, who are participants, from the South-East states, which included: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.