From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Mr Don Awunah has assumed duty as the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of Zone 16, Yenagoa, with a declaration to re-introduce community policing in the bid to tackle violent crime in Bayelsa.
Awunah, a former Force Public Relations Officer, was Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State between January 29 and August 2018, takes over from AIG Austin Agbonlahor who has retired from service,
Speaking shortly after assuming duty, the new police commissioner said the re-introduction of community policing and renewed partnership between the Nigerian Police and various security agencies will be adopted to tackle kidnapping, sea piracy and other violent crimes in Bayelsa and Rivers State under the coverage of zone 16.
According to him, the partnership between the men of the Nigerian Police Force and sister agencies will proffer needed short-term and long term solutions to tackle security in the zone.
‘The people Bayelsa and Rivers are going to witness a new dimension in the police force anchored on community policing, community engagement, partnership and problem-solving driven by the people, the people who own the police. The zone is expected to play a very dominant role in supervision and guidance… We are here to support the Command and not to take over their job; the job of policing is to support all structures and to serve the people so the centre of our policing is to the people and that’s the message and the policing objective of the Inspector General of Police which am here to drive,’ Commissioner Anuwah stated.
‘The issue of crime and criminality is something we have to work together as a people… There is no way in the world where a particular group of people can solve crime alone because the police are there and the people are there. So the people and police must form a very solid active partnership to solve criminalities. The criminals are not ghosts, the kidnappers are not spirits from the high sea, they are all people so we need to come together and solve issues on crime and criminality having in mind that the people must be engaged and the people must own the police, this is the only police you have,’ he said.
Before his new posting, Awunah had served as the Commandant, Police Staff College, Jos in Plateau State.