Abia commissioner plans tackling crime through community policing

Newly-appointed Commissioner of Police, Abia State, Mr. Chris Ezike on assumption of office, Monday in Umuahia, the state capital, vow to adopt community policing strategies in policing the state.

Ezike who until his appointment as Abia Police Boss was CP Community Policing, Police Force Headquarters, Abuja took over from Mr. Anthony Ogbizi after a brief handover ceremony at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia.

Ogbizi, who came to Abia as CP Railway, Lagos State, it was gathered, would be replacing Ezike as CP Community Policing at the Police Force Headquarters as well.

The new commissioner of police solicited for the support of Abia residents to help him in policing the state and effectively fight crimes. 

He maintained that it takes the cooperation of members of the public and the efforts of police operatives to achieve success in the policing job.

“I’m coming from the community policing background where we believe that partnership with the community and setting the agenda together will for a better public safety and a better society.

“I don’t intend to do less in this state because I’m here to serve and I will discharge my responsibility to the best of my knowledge and ability.

“The Police work is a community service in all it ratification, from road traffic control to crime control, security management, intelligence gathering and control, they are all for betterment of the society”, he said.

Ezike charged the police operatives in the state to cooperate with him and to ensure that they discharged their duties effectively according to the global best practices, stressing that they must at all times, ensure that they promote the integrity of the Nigerian Police Force. 

He said, “Where ever you find yourself as an operative, I expect you to do the evaluation of the situation and apply the best policing principle that will not compromise the integrity of the Nigerian police and infringe on the fundamental human rights of the People you are detailed to police but add value to them.

Earlier he thanked Ogbizi for serving the people of the state, adding that he left the state better than he met it.

The out-gone police boss called on rank and files and officers under the command to ensure that they throw their weights behind his successor in order to make the state safe and peaceful for business and commercial activities to thrive in the state.