The Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State command, SP Odiko Macdon has said for security to be further strengthened, there should be a digitalization of the whole apparatus.
He specifically mentioned the installation of Closed-Circuit Television, CCTV, cameras in all the major cities in Akwa Ibom State.
The Police spokesperson stated this on Tuesday while playing host to members of the Correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
It could be recalled that the governor of the State, Mr Udom Emmanuel had mooted the idea of installing CCTV cameras in the state.
The PPRO said CCTV cameras would help to tackle insecurity and called on the incoming governor, Pastor Umo Eno to prioritize it.
According to him, “we are calling on the incoming administration, whom we believe has the capacity to do this, to digitalize and make policing in Akwa Ibom State technologically driven.
“Let’s have CCTV everywhere in Uyo. It is doable, it is possible. Let’s have it in Ikot Ekpene, in Eket, in most towns in Akwa Ibom, if we cannot have it in all the villages and all the local governments.
“I’m an advocate of community policing, it will help to a great extent to curb crimes and criminality in our villages.”
He also warned of the rising number of car theft in the state and adviseed car owners to be security conscious of their vehicles as much as possible.
He disclosed that the command recently recovered seven stolen exotic vehicles from different locations in the state.
While revealing that a three-man syndicate was involved in the theft, the PPRO said the command was working hard to ensure that the ugly menace was tackled totally.
He said, “It pains the Commissioner of Police that now, one of the crimes we are battling with in Akwa Ibom State is an increase in car theft. There is an increase in car theft and I am calling on Akwa Ibomites to always keep an eye on their vehicles as much as they can.
“As a command, we recovered only recently about seven exotic cars, stolen from different parts of this state, traced to the receivers, recovered and given back to the people.
“There are like three syndicates operating in this town. You park your vehicle and before you go in and come out, your vehicle has disappeared. That nonsense is about to end.”