The Cross River State Police Command has decried shortage of manpower and communication gadgets in the state police command.
Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Aminu Alhassan, who raised the alarm at the weekend, during a tour of the State Police Command by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 6, Usman Sule Gonna, said the effectiveness of the command was being hampered by challenges.
He said the challenge of manpower shortage was all over the federation in the Nigeria Police, stressing that the case of Cross River was terrible and needed immediate attention.
“The effectiveness of the command in discharging its statutory duties is being hampered by some challenges not unconnected with enhanced technological and electronic methods, especially in tracking device of policing,” he said.
He, however, stated that the crime rate in the state had reduced, compared to other states of the federation, noting that rapid urbanisation and development had resulted in some emerging security threats.
On his part, Gonna promised the police officers that he would channel their needs and challenges to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for intervention, particularly the need to improve the marine sector.
Addressing the officers at the State Police Headquarters in Calabar, he warned that the police should respect the rights of persons in society, as his office would not tolerate violation of human rights in the cause of doing their duty.
“There is no democracy without human rights and we cannot pretend about this. Officers should work according to the tenets of the profession. Any policeman who still thinks that human rights are not serious, needs to be educated that it remains one.
“You must be professional, behave like a policeman at any given time. Professionalism should be your keyword and discipline should be your cardinal principle,” he said.