PCRC Urges Citizens to Support Community Policing, Says Security Is Everyone's Responsibility

The Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Ogun State has called on residents to actively support community policing, describing security as a collective responsibility that requires the cooperation of citizens, security agencies and government. He said the committee has continued to bridge the gap between the Nigeria Police Force and the public through grassroots engagement, intelligence gathering and public enlightenment campaigns aimed at tackling crime across the state.

Speaking during an interview with NSTV International, the PCRC leader explained that the organisation, established in 1984, was created to foster a cordial relationship between the police and communities. According to him, the committee regularly trains and retrains its members across Ogun State's Area Commands and Police Divisions to strengthen community policing and encourage residents to volunteer credible information that would assist law enforcement agencies in preventing crime.

He stressed that the committee's membership cuts across professionals, traditional leaders, retirees, youths, farmers and other respected members of society, noting that criminals are deliberately excluded from the organisation. He added that PCRC activities are funded through voluntary contributions from members and well-meaning Nigerians, while commending the Ogun State Police Command and other security agencies for working together to reduce incidents of kidnapping, cultism, drug abuse and other violent crimes in the state.

The PCRC chairman, however, identified the porous borders around Ogun State as one of the greatest security challenges confronting the state. He warned that the easy movement of undocumented persons across border communities has aided criminal activities, including banditry and attacks on farmers. He also cautioned traders and residents against knowingly supplying food, drinks and other items to suspected criminals, saying such acts amount to aiding insecurity.

He further renewed the committee's campaign on the "See Something, Say Something" initiative, urging residents to report suspicious movements through appropriate security channels rather than confronting criminals directly. He appealed to parents to closely monitor their children and discourage involvement in drug abuse, cultism and other social vices, warning that many criminal behaviours begin within the home before spreading into schools, markets and communities.

The PCRC chairman also expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police, arguing that locally recruited officers would possess better knowledge of their environment, language and culture, thereby improving intelligence gathering and crime prevention. He concluded by urging Nigerians to continue supporting the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in safeguarding lives and property, insisting that effective security can only be achieved when every citizen plays an active role in protecting the nation.