DFID, Police Partner To Improve Community Policing In Kano

PLANS of the Nigerian Police to entrench effective community based policing in the country received boost as Department for International Development (DFID) yesterday inaugurated Justice For All (J4A) programme in Kano.

J4A programme, a DFID funded project, was launched at Sabon Gari divisional Police in Kano, essentially to accelerate Federal Government reform on Police as well as enable citizens have access to justice.

The initiative involves upgrading of existing police stations with modern facilities and training of functional officers. Speaking at the inauguration of the first model police station in Kano, J4A consultant, Mr. Ronnie McMurran said the DFID in collaboration with the Nigerian Police headquarters in Kano embarked on the project to ensure crime-free community and engender public trust in the Police force.

Ronnie explained that the programme, which is expected to entrench justice and fair treatment of suspects, equally intends to introduce community safety partnership and build capacity of Police officers to deliver professionally. The new initiative, Ronnie added, would be replicated across the country.

Chief Superintendent of Police in charge of Sabon Gari Divisional Police headquarters, Shuaibu Bello, told journalists shortly after the inauguration that the J4A programme when fully operational would improve Police intelligent gathering and community relations policing in its area of jurisdiction.

Bello hinted that the intervention has informed establishment of community policing and vigilantes, divisional intelligent unit and community safety partnerships, as part of critical component of model police station.