Police Launch Community Safety Partnership to Tackle Crime in Abia

By: Blessing Fali

The Abia State Police Command has launched a Community Safety Partnership Initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation between the police, residents and other stakeholders to tackle crime and improve security across the state.

The initiative was inaugurated on Saturday, August 22, 2026, by the Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, at the Area Command Headquarters in Aba.

The programme brought together traditional rulers, local government officials, women and youth groups, traders, transport unions, community security groups, religious organisations and other security agencies, including the DSS, NSCDC and NDLEA.

During the meeting, participants raised concerns over petty crimes, alleged extortion, the proliferation of local security outfits and misconduct by some security personnel.

Responding to the concerns, Afolabi assured residents that the command would maintain zero tolerance for extortion, abuse of office and other forms of unprofessional conduct.

The commissioner also disclosed that police personnel were undergoing training and retraining in modern crime prevention, intelligence gathering and crime mapping. He said the command was adopting a data-driven policing strategy to identify emerging threats and deploy officers more effectively.

Afolabi further directed that unbranded vehicles should no longer be used for official police duties and ordered officers to dress properly and display visible name tags.

He urged residents to provide credible and timely information to the police, stressing that effective policing could not be achieved without active cooperation from members of the public.

The command said the initiative would be sustained and extended to other area commands across Abia State as part of efforts to improve public confidence, strengthen community engagement and promote lasting peace and security.