12th January, 2016
Criminals in Lagos and Ogun States may not have breather any longer to operate as the Zone 2 Police Command says it will soon launch a new technology platform to boost its crime fighting.
Bala Hassan, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the zone, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos in an interview with NAN.
Hassan, who reviewed how the police reduced crime in the zone during the Yuletide, said the technology would enhance the measures already put in place to rid the states of criminality.
He said that the sustained efforts at curbing crime paid off as the zone witnessed the lowest crime rate in the last five years during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The AIG said the command in line with the pursuits of the police top hierarchy would strive to motivate its officers and men and apply technology in fighting the menace this year.
“We are going to motivate our officers and men by taking care of their welfare and try to create more platforms which the people could use to alert the police about crime.
“We want to motivate the men to serve the public better and we are creating more platforms in this direction.
“I know the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, has launched “Flash Alert” that will assist members of the public to report crime promptly, but we are going beyond that now.
“We are going to have a “Flash Alert’ that even if you do not know or have any police distress telephone number, once you are attacked and you press any part of your phone, it will send signal to the control room.
“We are also looking at other areas whereby if your phone is not close to you and you are attacked, you can shout and your phone will send a distress signal to the control room.
“There and then officers will come and assist you. This will leave the criminals with no time to carry out their despicable activities.
“Once you do that, you have helped us to reduce the time we use to attend to distress calls and once criminals know they no longer have enough time to operate, criminality reduces,” Hassan said.
On the use of technology, the AIG said that the police would deploy the technology to make it difficult for criminals to attack innocent members of the public.
He said: “We request the banks and other commercial institutions to ensure that effective Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are installed in their premises.
“If anybody commits crime and runs away, we will have the video and the record on how to trace the person.
“So, all banks, financial houses, Shoprite and other shopping malls should ensure that cameras are installed in their work places.
“If there is a robbery, we will have a record of it in our system and that is what I want to enjoin the residents of Lagos State to do for us.
“They will also ensure that they have records of movements within and outside their institutions to help us see who comes in and goes out’’.
Hassan recalled that he had done something like flash alert while he was the Commissioner of Police in Edo.
“I have some youths who are experienced in information technology and I have tasked them to develop sophisticated software, and this one maybe ahead of what we have in Lagos State currently.
“In this innovation, you do not have to dial any number, you just press any part of your phone or you shout at the top of your voice and it sends a distress signal to the police.
“This will send signal to our control rooms and you will have quick response from our men which is our major plan for 2016.
On the Yuletide, he said that there was safety on the roads while people travelled for the Christmas and New Year because the zone deployed 15 patrol vehicles each in Lagos and Ogun.
“The measure under `Operation Safer Highways’ of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, ensured that the people were protected and travelled safe.
“Under the Safer Highways patrol, we provide, even though it may be small, for the policemen things that will make them not to stop vehicles and ask for money.
“Such include provisions like water and food so that they will not be hungry.
“The 186 patrol vehicles recently donated by the Lagos State Government were also deployed in strategic places.
“The presence of the police everywhere sent fear into the criminals as they knew that they will be caught on the least attempt to commit crime.
“I urge members of the public to have the numbers of the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Area Commanders, the commissioner of police and the control room.
“I want them to know that police officers will be willing to assist them in distress,” Hassan said.