Chairman, Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Agency, Israel Ajao, has said that participation of the public was key to community policing.

Ajao, a former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, identified four important parts of community policing, as participation, representation, accountability and visibility.

According to him, there should be participation of every member of the community, as security was not a one-man business, but every member of the community should also be represented in making decisions that has to do with their security.

He spoke through the agency’s Lagos division representative, Ishola Laguda, at the Ikeja Division Stakeholders’ Seminar themed: ‘Neighborhood Safety as a Strategy for Effective Crime Control in Lagos State’.

“Accountability is also important, which is part of what we have come for today. We will brief you on what we have done so far and listen to your suggestions on how to serve you better.

“We should also be visible for you to evaluate our activities and see if we are doing what we promised to do,” he said.

Ajao appealed to the state government for additional manpower for the safety of corps and urged members of the public to support their mandate, which was to provide security in synergy with the police and other security agencies.

Ikeja Divisional Representative, LNSA, Babatunde Aboyade, also emphasised the need to share information with community leaders to enable effective community Safety Partnership.

“We look forward to a LSNC that will be sharing intelligence report with our traditional rulers because they are close to the community.

“The board may also come out with whistle blowing arrangement policy where informants will be duly compensated for advancing credible information on criminals and criminal activities, ” he said.

Aboyade said Neighborhood Safety Club would be established in schools to sensitise students on the dangers of cultism and other related crimes at an early stage in life.

He assured members of the public that LSNC was the people’s reliable and dependable partner in crime control, and urged them not to hesitate in relating with the corps whenever the need arose.

Rtd. Air Commodore Adeniyi Onitiju, a guest speaker at the seminar, commended the past and present governors of the state, saying they had prioritised security in a way that its continuity was never compromised.

Onitiju said that officers of the corps could be likened to the baywatch and ancient night guards, which was a pointer to the fact that community policing had always been the key to a crime-free society.

“Intelligence lead policy requires participation of all stakeholders, and if crime control is to be effective, we all need to meet and combat the challenges. There is need for everyone to cultivate security consciousness as a habit.

“This engagement is targeted at involving you and also a reminder for you to secure your community.

“Traditional leaders should also be carried along in this synergy because they are close to the people. Share information with them and meet on communal safety.” he said.