….Scheme meant for gainfully employed individuals
To address and clarify the issues surrounding the recent protest of community policing constables in Ilorin, Kwara State, the Nigeria Police Force has stated unequivocally that the Community Policing Constabulary Scheme of the Force is a purely voluntary service started by the Federal Government to train and incorporate individuals with prior paid employment who desire to spend their spare time assisting the police in its basic police work.
In a statement released on Thursday, August 25, 2022, the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, mnipr, mipra, further clarified that it came as a rude shock that participants in the programme were recently protesting the non-payment of salaries in Kwara State, as the program’s primary goal and rule of engagement is to foster community cooperation in crime control through the presence of respected members of the public.
Adejobi said that the scheme delineates the roles of the Community Policing Constables, who are not direct employees/personnel of the Police but of their respective communities, at both divisional and state levels to include assisting the police in crime detection and prevention, conflict resolution, intelligence gathering and dissemination to local Police Commanders, maintenance of law and order, deployment to complement conventional police officers in patrolling their communal public space, advising the public on safety, crime prevention, and security tips, dealing with minor offenses and social vices, working with relevant stakeholders on crime control, and traffic management and school safety duties.
“The Nigeria Police, therefore, re-emphasizes the fact that the scheme is voluntary and no payments were agreed with the individuals under the scheme neither were paid terms of appointment discussed before its commencement. Subsequently, because a protest for payment when there is no basis for such is mischievous and ill-conceived; the Force, however, will be taking adequate measures to review the effectiveness of the scheme as soon as possible, the statement concluded.
