The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has pledged to engender a police system that would be trusted by all and sundry.
The IGP noted that to earn the trust of Nigerians, police must raise the integrity bar.
Egbetokun was speaking at the townhall meeting convened by the ministry of police affairs in Lagos.
According to him, “as often said, the citizens remain the most important asset in law enforcement and the more accountable we are to them, the more the trust engendered, partnership strengthened, and community safety guaranteed.”
He noted that he holds the firm professional conviction that the Honourable Minister recognizes that the best policing strategy is one that is founded on the principle of inclusivity, trust, public consent, collaboration and bridging of the gap between the Police and the citizens for optimal and cost-effective law enforcement service delivery.
According to him, “This Meeting is, indeed, another innovative and highly strategic initiative of the Honourable Minister in her quest to bequeath to the nation, a police Force that is founded on citizen’s confidence. The initiative is, therefore, critical to my policing mission for various reasons.
“Firstly, as the theme projects, the Townhall Security Meeting will aid us in leveraging on Community Policing principles and practices towards building partnerships that will strengthen our policing strategies in a manner that will guarantee a safer Nigeria in line with Mr. President’s Internal Security Agenda and as envisioned by the Honourable Minister.
“Secondly, this forum has the potentials of advancing the virtues of police – public accountability on one hand, while on the other hand, it provides a unique opportunity for the Force leadership to engage the citizens, feel their pulse on security and safety concerns, and integrate them into the process of evolving pathways towards addressing their security and community safety concerns.
“This is with the long-term objective of strengthening internal security on a sustainable basis.Furthermore, as often said, the citizens remain the most important asset in law enforcement and the more accountable we are to them, the more the trust engendered, partnership strengthened, and community safety guaranteed.
“In convening this meeting, I hold the firm professional conviction that the Honourable Minister recognizes that the best policing strategy is one that is founded on the principle of inclusivity, trust, public consent, collaboration and bridging of the gap between the Police and the citizens for optimal and cost-effective law enforcement service delivery.
“Indeed, by involving the communities and citizens at large in the policing decision making process, the Honourable Minister is merely giving effect to Robert Peels Principles of Policing which emphasise that ‘the people are the police, and the police are the people’.
“The import of this is that the option of crime management through meaningful communal engagement remains the most potent policing model and my policing vision, strategies and leadership actions are fundamentally entrenched on this firm and time-tested foundation.
“By convening this Townhall Meeting, the Honourable Minister is giving the requisite Ministerial leadership towards perfecting this model of policing and aiding my leadership in the process.
“In cognizance of this, I wish to acknowledge and most sincerely commend the foresight, thoughtfulness, and zeal of the Hon. Minister in appreciating the strategic importance of engaging constantly with the citizens towards the perfection of our community safety and internal security mandate.
“While acknowledging that the purpose of a Townhall Meeting of the nature is best served in an interactive, question and answer format, I consider it expedient to offer a brief on recent operational and reform activities of the Nigeria Police under my leadership.
“This, by my reasoning, would give insight into my leadership strides and focus, while laying the foundation for our subsequent citizens interaction and inputs in furtherance to the vision of the Honourable Minister, the convener of this strategic meeting.
“The Honourable Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, following my appointment as the 22nd indigenous Inspector General of Police, I have, under the guidance of the Ministry of Police Affairs, and in close collaboration with the Police Reform Team in the Presidency, emplaced sets of actions that are targeted at giving effect to the reform agenda of the Federal Government.
“In this regard, the reform actions focus principally on some key areas which I believe will interrelate to form the catalyst that will engender a new police Force, that will meet the aspirations of the citizens, align with global best practices and meet the expectations of the Federal Government.”
He added that reform focus of his leadership includes the enhancement of the institutional capacity of the Force; bridging the manpower gap, both in terms of personnel shortfalls and human resource quality; boosting the operational capability of the Force through procurement and distribution of critical operational assets and logistics; and strengthening trust and partnership between the Police and the Citizens through a refocused community policing implementation plan.
“Others include exploring transnational partnerships, and collaborating with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and relevant government agencies towards projecting a new policing doctrine for the Force in line with the agenda of Mr. President and enhancing the professional knowledge of officers through enhanced local and international training opportunities.” He said.