By Chizoba Njaka
The Anambra State Police Command has directed the eight Area Command and fifty-four Divisional Coordinators of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) to intensify community engagement and stakeholder advocacy as part of its proactive, non-kinetic policing strategy aimed at preventing crime, enhancing public safety, and strengthening community resilience across the state.
The directive was issued during a strategic engagement with the coordinators at the Command Headquarters in Awka.
According to a statement issued on July 14 by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Command reiterated that sustainable security can only be achieved through effective collaboration between the Police and critical stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious organisations, educational institutions, youth and women groups, market associations, civil society organisations, and other community-based groups.
The command described POCACOV as a vital platform for promoting crime prevention through advocacy, mentorship, value reorientation, and public enlightenment. It, therefore, charged the coordinators to strengthen grassroots sensitisation campaigns against cultism, substance abuse, cybercrime, domestic violence, bullying, and other social vices that threaten peace, security, and socio-economic development.
As part of preparations for the forthcoming visit of the National Coordinator of POCACOV, the coordinators were further instructed to organise town hall meetings, school outreach programmes, community engagements, media advocacy campaigns, youth mentorship initiatives, and stakeholder dialogues designed to promote responsible citizenship, peaceful coexistence, respect for the rule of law, and collective participation in crime prevention.
The Police Command further stressed that effective policing extends beyond law enforcement to building public confidence, fostering stronger partnerships with communities, and encouraging residents to provide timely, credible, and actionable information to support security operations.
Reaffirming its commitment to community policing, the Anambra State Police Command pledged to sustain stakeholder-driven security initiatives through POCACOV and other proactive crime prevention programmes. It also urged residents to continue partnering with the Police in promoting peace, security, and public order across Anambra State.
Chizoba Njaka is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
#Ministryofinformationandvaluereformation
#Anambraisrising
#PowerInfrastructure
#Solutionishere
#Solutioncontinues
