LASG to Hand Over 107 Patrol Vans, Power Bikes to Police Divisions

Chiemelie Ezeobi

To enhance the quality of policing and ensure effectiveness in patrols, the Lagos State Government, is set to hand over 107 patrol vans and power bikes to each of the 107 police divisions across the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, made this disclosure at the Inspector General of Police (IG) Town-hall meeting held at Hadassah Events Place, Emmanuel Street, Ogudu.

Based on the recent directive of the IG, Solomon Arase, to all commissioners of state police commands, the town hall meetings were held as part of the strategic initiative of the Nigeria Police, which is aimed at adopting community policing practices in addressing internal security challenges.

This is geared towards enhancing the process of reassurance policing and need for peaceful coexistence and sensitivity of each community’s value, space and interest.

In an interview afterwards Owoseni said, “In furtherance of the work the Lagos State Government is doing already, it has considered it imperative to consider divisions that don’t have functional vehicles.
“The state government has concluded plans to hand over some vehicles as is an intervention to ensure every police division in the state has a functional vehicle. Currently, we have 107 police divisions across Lagos State and they will all get one patrol van with at least one power bike.”

Speaking on the essence of the town-hall meeting the CP said, “The meeting was to tell the stakeholders on the need for them to partner us and the need for us to come back to the traditional ways of resolving conflicts. That was the message we passed. And the divisional police officers and the area commanders will follow it up.”

Earlier on, the Area H Commander Aliyu Garba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the town-hall meeting provided a veritable platform for dialogue between all stakeholders within the host communities of the area.

He said, “The essence of this town-hall meeting, which is the first of its kind in this area command, is part of strategic initiative of the Nigeria Police, aimed at adopting community policing practices in addressing internal security. It was to also continually create a platform for generation of ideas to our security challenges.

“It is critical that in this renewed action to rid Lagos of criminals, we must spare a thought for the operatives that put them seeks in harm’s way for our safety. Clearly, a lot has been done but we must ensure that our gains are not lost by evolving new strategies to enhance our safety and sustaining our support of the Nigeria Police”, he added.