A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has maintained that community policing is the panacea to tackling the lingering security challenges facing the country.
The former Deputy National Chairman of the party made the comment during an interview on Channels Television’s Newsnight which will air later this evening.
“The beauty of it is that you are sure to contain your local governments; the people, their lives and properties day and night, and they (those running it) would be people who will be hired within that community,” he noted.
“They know who lives there, who does this, and if you see a stranger coming into the community at night; you have the right to challenge. They know everybody around and there is nothing better in terms of policing than that.”
According to him, any government that fails to protect the lives and properties of its citizens does not have any basis for existence.
“What is the first job of anybody in government? Protection of lives and properties. That is the number one job,” the former military governor of Ondo State maintained. “If you cannot do that, then you are not fit to be the governor of that state.”
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Bode George’s comments follow debates that have trailed the calls for community policing. While proponents believe it further empowers states to tackle security issues peculiar to their locality, those against it argue that it will be abused and many governors cannot fund it.
But the PDP chieftain insisted that states can employ security personnel based on what they can afford, dismissing those wanting to maintain the status quo.
“Maybe some states will have more because they can afford more,” Bode George said in response to comments that funding will be a major challenge in running community policing.
“Why are we thinking that the only way to provide security for lives and properties is by running a federal police? It is not working.”
