Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 14, Yahaya Abubakar, says more collaboration with local communities and intelligence gathering will assist in curbing security challenges bedevilling the country.

Mr Abubakar stated this when the executive members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) visited him on Thursday at the zonal headquarters in Katsina.

“Partnership and Intelligence gathering are part of the core values of community-based policing and are, therefore, essential for its successful implementation,” he said.

He, therefore, urged them to sustain the collaborative efforts by expanding their activities to the grassroots.

The AIG reiterated his full support to the PCRC, saying that his doors were always open for the committee’s executives and other members.

Mr Abubakar, however, reminded them that, like the police, the PCRC members were expected to be apolitical and non-religious on issues of security.

He promised to always invite them to the Zonal Command Monthly Strategic Leadership Management meetings for their input in the ongoing fight against crimes and criminals in the zone.

The PCRC chairman, Suleiman Marafa, said they were in his office to welcome him as the new AIG and to seek more collaboration to tackle insecurity.

“We seek more cooperation and partnership with the NPF in the zone, especially in the areas of information/intelligence generation and sharing, regular meetings and engagements of the PCRC in crime prevention and public safety,” stated Mr Marafa.

He further explained that the primary role of the PCRC was to link the police and the communities they served to foster public trust and confidence in the police.

According to Mr Abubakar, the PCRC, like the police, has structures and presence in all the local government areas in Kaduna and Katsina.

The chairman also reiterated their support for the ongoing recruitment of police constables in the country.

(NAN)