Amaechi Tasks New CP On Crime Prevention

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has urged the Rivers State Police Command to step up and do more in the fight against crime in the state.

Amaechi spoke last Friday when the new Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Mbu Joseph Mbu paid him a courtesy visit at Government House in Port Harcourt.

He commended the police in the State for their efforts so far in combating crime but urged them to do more as there seemed to be a new upsurge in crime rate in the state and this he said, must be addressed immediately before it escalated.

“I must tell you that 80 per cent of those who commit crime in the state are arrested, so I must commend your officers for that, but I am also aware that there is a little upsurge in crime, and I think we must address it now, if not, those boys, the criminal elements will start coming back”, Amaechi said.

Governor Amaechi also advised the Police to phase out two check points at Choba and Egbeda in Obio/Akpor and Emohua Local Government Areas respectively and increase patrol to check the activities of criminals, stressing that the crime rate in Omoku was becoming worrisome.

Amaechi further explained that his administration had in recent times donated fleet of security patrol vehicles and brand new APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers) to the State Police Command to confront and combat crime.

Governor Amaechi equally urged the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Mbu to live up to his constitutional responsibilities by working diligently, urging him to discharge his duties to the best of his ability.

On his part, the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Mbu Joseph Mbu told Governor Amaechi that he was on a familiarisation tour with the cream of Police officers in his team to rub minds with the state government on ways to enhance security in the state.

Mr Mbu explained that he was making frantic efforts to fix all dilapidated police vehicles and forced them back to the road to effectively monitor and combat crime in the state.

He restated the determination of the command not to compromise on discipline, saying that officers of the command must be disciplined to achieve set goals and the vision of the current administration in the state.

The Rivers Police Boss also urged Governor Amaechi to support the creation of two additional Area Commands to expand the frontiers of Police to aggressively combat crime in the state.