The Plateau Government has organised a peace and security community dialogue as part of efforts to domesticate community policing in the state.
The theme of the dialogue is:’ Domestication of Community Policing in Plateau State: Exploring Indigenous Options’.
Following the recent security summit of Inspector-General of Police with Governors of the North Central States, Community Policing was adopted as a better tool to tackle security challenges in the Zone.
Gov. Simon Lalong said the dialogue was to chart practical and proactive measures that would prevent the reoccurence of attacks in Plateau communities, following the loss of more than 30 lives in communities in Bokkos and Mangu local government areas of the state .
“The dialogue seeks to explore ways toward undertaking a holistic overview of the prevailing security challenges in the state, with specific reference to a community policing model that can better respond to public safety and security,” Lalong said.
He said the State Government already had existing structures such as the Operation Rainbow, Early warning System, Vigilante Volunteers and Community based Intelligence Volunteers which were in tandem with the Community Policing model.
He said the meeting was to ask pertinent questions with a view to taking appropriate measures to ensure security of lives and property , which was the major responsibility of the government.
In his presentation, Prof Dakas Dakas, a specialist in Constitutional Law, said that community policing promotes use of community partnerships with a view to addressing public disorder and crime.
He said bottom top approach was necessary to ensure the success of community policing which should be in line with the peculiar traditions and needs of communities.
He said the government must know how to leverage on existing security structures such as neighborhood watch, vigilante groups, traditional and religious institutions, saying political forces should not be used to undermine the domestication of community policing.
“For community policing to work , mechanism for funding must be streamlined, the model must be consistent with the laws, the mechanism for recruitment must be devoid of factors such as political affiliations to make it credible,” he said.
Dakas said that there must be operational framework, legal framework and framework for oversight and accountability, saying a technical committee to seek perspectives of critical stakeholders for the success of community policing in the state should be set up.
In his remarks, the chairman , Plateau traditional council, the Gbong Gwonm Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, said that for the success of any security architecture, fundamental family issues must be addressed.
Buba said that evil perpetrators were mostly from dysfunctional families who had created security challenges in various communities.
He expressed worry that politics and religion were the major factors contributing to security challenges as politicians were desperate for positions because of financial benefits.
“Religious leaders intimidate the politicians and the traditional leaders, they say we have the land but they have the people,”he said.
NAN reports that participants of the meeting included the Christian Association of Nigeria, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Security agencies, Community leaders, Ardos and Non Governmental Oganisations.(NAN)
