PCRC donates transit camp to police in Imo

THE Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Imo has donated a transit camp built for police personnel in the state to curb their accommodation problem.

Speaking at the inauguration in Owerri on Friday, the

The PCRC Chairman in Imo, Mr Chima Chukwunyere, said at the inauguration of the camp that the committee would not relent in assisting community policing.

Chukwunyere said he initiated the move to build the camp following untold hardships and the lack of accommodation faced by officers who were on transfer.

He added that “we built two camps for both male and female officers and I know that with this arrangement, officers on transfer can camp there and save themselves from unwarranted inconveniences.”

The chairman said PCRC had commenced campaign against cultism in secondary schools in the state, noting that it was the driving force of all criminality.

He, however, pointed out that one of the challenges police were facing was misinformation from the public.

Chukwunyere said “the police are often time misinformed by the public and this posed danger in checkmating crime.

“The police should arrest and prosecute anybody who willingly misinformed them to serve as deterrent to others.”

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, commended the

PCRC for building and donating the camp, saying “we are happy that we have responsible PCRC members in Imo; I want you to continue the selfless service to the society.”

The commissioner said critical stakeholders must be willing at all times to contribute their quota for effective policing in the state and the country in general.

He urged members of the PCRC to synergise with Divisional Police Officers (DPO) in their various local governments to reduce crime rate in the state.

He said “we are happy that Imo Government has established other security outfits to complement our numerical strength in policing the state.

“Though such security outfits are not an alternative to police, we need them as much as we need other critical stakeholders like the PCRC to police Imo.”

Ezike said police was more interested in preventive policing than detective policing, explaining that “we initiated a move to carry out campaign against all manners of criminality.

“Preventing crime is better than detecting it because we don’t have a full data base of the Nigerian citizenry, thereby making it difficult to detect crime effectively.”