Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI, Leye Oyebade, has advised officers in the zone to embrace community policing to enhance effective and quality service delivery.

Oyebade gave the advice in Ibadan during his familiarization tour to Oyo State, saying the vision and mission in the zone were in sync with the overall vision of the Force.

He said the command expected all police officers in the area to adopt problem-solving, community partnership and organisational transformation as essential elements in community policing.

Oyebade explained that approach emphasised intelligence-gathering, inter-agency collaboration and public-partnership.

Oyebade announced that the IGP had approved the establishment of zonal security stakeholders’ forum, consisting of critical stakeholders.

According to him, the adoption of the forum will encourage preventive policing rather than the traditional reactive policing, and this will enhance quick response to distress calls.

He said to make the forum successful, the command had crime-mapped the zone to indicate which crime was prevalent and where, to enable the development of appropriate strategies to nip such in the bud.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, had said the command recorded successes in tackling security challenges in the state, with the support of officers, government and the public.

Olukolu said the command currently faced challenges of inadequate manpower due to promotion, shortage of patrol vehicles, arms and ammunition, among others.

In his remark, Senior Special Assistant on Security to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Segun Abolarinwa, pledged the continuous support of the state government to the command.

Abolarinwa said the state would provide bullet-proof vests and walkie-talkie to the recently created “Operation Puff Addder” in the state.

Representatives of Miyetti Allah, traditional rulers, road transport workers and other stakeholders commended the police and pledged support to reduce crime in the state.