CSP Musa Alim who opted to be a member of the Lagos State delivery team formed a Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) in Alakuko where he is the DPO. The selected team commenced patrol of the area after an intensive basic policing skills training of the officers.
Within a few weeks the previously uninterested officers reported back to the DPO that they are enjoying their new role and had developed good relationships with the Community which had improved the quality of information they had on the area.
The DPO and his NPT embarked on visibility patrolling due to the high frequency of crime in the area. This led to a reduction in the number of robberies committed. The NPT also quickly identified a number of gang members or ‘Area Boys’ and began to interact with them as part of their patrols.
On the 18th March 2015, a fatal motor accident occurred in Akinde, and youths in the Community began to riot during the chaos.
The DPO and his NPT quickly dispatched to the scene and upon recognizing the officers and knowing that they would investigate the motor accident properly the rioters dropped their weapons and ran towards the officers providing them with their names and putting themselves forward as volunteers to help the police.
This amount of cooperation was unheard of before and a clear indication of the positive impact community based policing is having in pilot communities. CSP Musa Alim tells us that more of his officers now want to be considered to join the NPT.
The team also has undertaken a joint training with the Voluntary Policing Sector which can only strengthen their positive impact within the community.