There is need for public support for an effective community policing, as this can only be effective when people believe in the police and seek for their support.

Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Police Command, Olatunji Disu, said this would infuse efficiency and professionalism and change the negative perception about the Police to ensure its mandate of providing public safety and security was met.

Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the introduction of security partnership by the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal since assumption of office had helped improve the state’s security.

According to him, Edgal’s mission was to introduce policing plan and ask for cooperation in restoring safety to Lagos and make it the most peaceful state to do business on the African continent.

He said functional partnership was key to ensuring the neighbourhoods were safe especially at night, saying Community policing was both proactive and reactive as it depended largely on the intelligence to prevent crime.

The Commander of Rapid Response Squad said Area Commanders and Divisional Policemen had been instructed to support Community Development Associations, Local Vigilante Group by holding meetings with them to decide how they wanted to be policed.