PCRC Blames Low Performance On Public Perception

A member of the Police
Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Umuahia, Mr Chidi Okenyi, has blamed the low performance of the committee to the wrong perception by the public.
Okenyi said in Umuahia, last Monday that members of the public, particularly in the state had little value for the organisation.
“It is surprising that much has not been achieved by PCRC in the state due to wrong perception of its roles. “When I was in Abuja, I saw the extent the police placed value on members of PCRC, but here, our people see it as a platform for intimidation and self-aggrandizement. “They brandish their identity cards over little provocation just to intimidate people,” he said.
He stressed the need for intensive enlightenment of the public on its roles in ensuring peace and security in the country adding that it was time for all stakeholders to understand the role of PCRC in securing the neighbourhood.
Okenyi, a former chairman of the committee in Abuja, said that PCRC was established to assist the Nigeria Police in gathering information on security issues from the public.
He appealed to governments at all levels to assist the committee in attaining its objectives in the country noting that the role of the PCRC cannot be over-emphasised because the police alone cannot ensure security without the cooperation of the public.