By Praise Chinecherem
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng has identified trust and effective partnership between police and communities as critical elements in tackling menace of crime and criminality in the State.
He called on communities in the state to forge an alliance with the police to establish environment of trust and mutual respect for the wellbeing of man and the society.
Echeng spoke in Awka on “Community Engagement a Key to Effective Police Performance” at a meeting of the Anambra state police stakeholders partnership forum(PSPF) and awards ceremony, in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre(RULAAC).
The event witnessed conferment of award of honour to AIG John Abang for his Police-Citizens engagements and professional standards while acting as CP in the state, former PPRO in the state, CSP Haruna Mohammed and former DPO in charge of Fegge, CSP Rabiu Garba, for community engagement, courage and professional service in the state.
According to Echeng, Police, community engagements would go a long way to eliminating insecurity that had ravaged the state, the southeast and the country at large.
He said “Police must actively cultivate the trust of the community and refrain from acts that endangers trust as confidence once broken will be difficult to regain.
“Communities too must endeavour not to abuse this trust. When individuals give false information aimed at achieving selfish objectives, it erodes the mutual trust.
“Both sides must understand that they need each other and that a partnership built on mutual respect must be forged in the interest of the community. It is only in an ambience of partnership that problems confronting communities can be holistically addressed and ultimately solved.
“Selflessness is when Police watch out for the good of the community and the community reciprocate same. Doing otherwise endangers both the Police and the Community.
“It is not enough for the Police to be willing to engage the Community it serves. There is need for the community to be interested in partnering with the Police amd where both parties are disposed to forging a partnership that works, the society is the better for it.”
The CP assured that the Police will continue to make itself accountable in the administration of Criminal Justice in the state and commended the PSPF and RULAAC for their roles in forging a partnership that enthroned access to justice in the state.
Earlier, Executive Director Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma praised the Police for their doggedness and courage, especially during the period of EndSARS protest.
He called for better welfare for officers to increase their effective in the discharge of their constitutional mandates of service and protection of the citizens.
On his part, Anambra State Coordinator of PSPF, Prince Chris Azor said the platform was one of the outcomes of the assessment conducted by RULAAC, in partnership with the NPF and with support from the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI).
He said it was established to serve as a mechanism for holding NPF personnel to account for rights violations, while growing skills and awareness to ensure prevention and reduction of such violations.
He said the intervention included capacity building for citizens, sensitization, enlightenment and establishment of the PSPF as a stakeholders’ platform to monitor compliance by the NPF with the ACJL.
