The New Commissioner of Police, Gombe State Command, CP Hayatu Usman has pledged to engage youths in the state with various skills, so as to rehabilitate them and take them off the streets.
CP Usman told journalists during his maiden edition press conference that it was not every crimimal or suspect that requires being remanded or imprisoned, hence juveniles would be engaged through the state government’s skills acquisition centres to learn trade and make meaning living out of it.
“That is one of my policies and I have already started engaging the communities. I have visited some communities and still have some communities to visit tomorrow, where I expect all the stakeholders in that community to assemble, so that we can find a solution, because some of the crimes these young ones commit are caused by the economic situation in the country,” CP Usman said.
Consequently, he called on all criminal gangs to choose peace and engage in the skill acquisition programmes provided by the Gombe State government, so that they could become useful citizens in the society and contribute their quota towards the development of the state.
The CP said he intended to achieve that through the overhaul of the Command’s crime prevention machineries with community policing as the pillars of this strategy.
“The Command has already set the ball rolling and took proactive measures to stem the rising crimes in the state through round the clock patrol, constant raids on identified criminal hideouts and black-spots, Surveillance, foot and vehicular patrols, regular stop and search, intelligence gathering, and above all stakeholder’s engagements to address crimes in their localities,” CP Usman said.
For Southern Bypass in the Gombe Metropolis, one of the areas known for high crime rate, he said community policing was one of the strategies he was adopting to rid the communities of crime, hence he planned to visit the area and discuss with all stakeholders in the area on what they could do together to ensure a crime free community.
“It is when I go there we are going to sit down and map out strategies on how to deal with crime in that particular location,” said CP Usman.
He said because he served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Department of Operations in the state before his appointment, he had the advantage of knowing the terrains and therefore pledged to be on his toes in fighting the criminal activities, with successes already recorded in the arrest of many suspects, who had been arraigned in courts for prosecution.
“The command under my watch shall take drastic measures on fighting crimes and its perpetrators. Therefore, all our efforts and energies shall be geared towards the prevention of crimes and the successful apprehension of offenders that would test our resolve,” he said.
CP Usman acknowledged the support of Gombe State Government through the support of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, which had made policing much easier for the command, while appealing to Governor not to relent in his support for the police through the provision of patrol vehicles and other logistics “to enhance our operational capacity.”
The Gombe CP urged all personnel of the Command to eschew corruption and act of indiscipline, because he intends to deal with any member of the force caught engaged in any act of professional misconduct, in accordance with laid down procedures.
He also said he would ensure, under his watch, that the existing inter-agency collaboration, respect for the Rule of Law and fundamental Human Rights are strengthened.
“I appreciate the ongoing synergy with other sister security agencies to make the state safe, and urge them to maintain the collaboration,” CP Usman said.
He appreciated the traditional rulers and religious leaders, eminent persons and the people of Gombe State for their support and cooperation for the peace being enjoyed in the state, while urging the to do more..
He said he considered vigilantes and hunters as critical stakeholders in the fight against crime in the state, appreciating their courage and resilience in the fight against crime and the promotion of peaceful coexistence.
Overall, the New Commissioner of Police for Gombe State gave law-abiding citizens in the state the assurances that the command would work assiduously and continue to make the state maintain its record as the most peaceful in the country, while encouraging members of the public to report any suspicious persons or movements to the nearest Police Station or through the Command’s emergency numbers- 08150567771 or PCB Desk 09165472923 for prompt action.
