Transparent Leadership Initiative International (TLI) an NGO, on Thursday accused the general public of hindering the aims and objectives of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) throughout the country.
It said the public should be able to assist the PCRC by giving adequate information through their representatives to the committee on any act of criminality in their respective areas throughout the states, and LGs for police action.
Speaking to The Newswriter Editor at the TLI headquarters in Woji in Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers state, the president International of the NGO, Engr. Prince Onyeche Obinna, said the general public lacked and also hid information, making the existence of PCRC in the state not to be noticed.
Engr. Obinna insisted that the committee is critical to meet the demand to wipe out crime in its entirety with the police or security agents.
He called on the public to embrace new ideas that would help to develop the activities of PCRC policing.
Prince Obinna added that many private companies and the public need to make their contributions available to the committee but are uncertain how to do so, stressing that Royal Highnesses, CDC members are in good position to assist by giving reliable information to the police of hide-outs of criminals.
Hear him: “the reality of policing has to do with the masses, as such PCRC is a very good concept that creates an avenue of really checking crime. Members become an integral part of police campaign.
“However, in the structure of PCRC you see the presence of justice and the most effective decision making class in the committee is effective. It becomes imperative that those people know the inhabitants of the community and should let the police have true information on the rate of crime within their communities and prevailing interest of crime in such areas. The concept of PCRC should not be discouraged rather there should be a review of their existence in line with proper enlightenment programme on their roles so that their actual roles will be achieved.
“For now the public is not fully aware of their proper role as they have contrary view of the actual need.
“Membership of PCRC should be based on status, including elders, youths, leaders that have adequate information concerning their place to ensure the efficiency of such community. Any communites hiding criminals should be dissolved and probed because that is where PCRC rely to work with the police.”
He therefore advised committee members to embrace the campaign for community policing as that is the only channel to effectively implement policing in Nigeria
He called on community leaders not to shy away from information that will aid the police, Nigeria Army, Airforce, State Security Service and RSG C4 centre, in combating crime and criminal acts within their communities because security is every man’s business. ###
Senibo A. Atagbara
