PCRC Hammers On Community Policing

By Fashoyi Falilat Olamide

The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Lagos State command has stressed on the importance of community policing as a very key instrument for curbing crime in the metropolis.

The PCRC made the stress today, November 16 at its 7th biennial week/conference meeting with youths and the police of Area H Command at GRA, Ogudu Lagos.

The committee which expressed concern at the alarming rate of youth crime, including drug abuse, cited report from the United Nations to back its concern.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olarenwaju Ebenezer, who represented the Commissioner of Police, drug abuse has become rampant amongst youths.

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“Drug abuse has become a very rampant issue in the society, whenever I think about this thing, it brings tears to my eyes”, he stressed, adding that a report from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in Nigeria, underscored the seriousness of the problem.

According to him, the office indicates that 14.4% of the youths ranging from age 15_64 years abuse drugs, and that a prevalence of 20_20.9% of drug abuse have been reported among students.

Speaking, the Commissioer of Youths, Hon Mobolaji Ogunlende mentioned various ways the police could help in curbing the rate of drug abuse with the help of the community and the society.

This he stated, would be by way of open communication and collaboration on the social problems between the communities and the police.

It should also include the launching of communication and collaborative interaction between them.

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Hon Ogunlende added that rehabilitation centres were always open to the people to access.
“There are lots of rehabilitation centres in Lagos where the communities can help/ bring youths under the influence of drugs”.

The PCRC Lagos State chairman, Apostle Kehinde Soyemini said the conference was organised every two years to bring the police , together with the community in a bid to reduce the level of crime.

He urged communities to support the police in its efforts at curbing crime associated to drug abuse in the state.