POLICE ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE (PAC) BLUE PRINT

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To offer direct and physical assistance to officers and men of The Nigeria Police Force. This is to enable Police personnel discharge their constitutional duties with minimum stress.

a) To foster unity in crime prevention.

b) To ensure complete security of the States.

c) To check activities of illegal organizations causing havoc and mayhem.

d) To assist the State to revitalize and give logistic assistance, relevant for the state security, to all Police organizations and projects against crime.

e) To use the numerical strength of membership of associations under the umbrella of Associations of Tradesmen and Artisans to entrench positive attitude amongst the grassroots, towards the Police Force.

2. REASONS FOR THE FORMATION OF PAC

a) To organize programmes to sensitize the general public on Police-public co-operation and to assist the Police commands in various states.

b) To source and provide means of procuring efficient equipment and logistic requirements of the Police Force.

3. PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Police Assistance committee (PAC) will be inaugurated in the States by the States Association of Tradesmen and Artisans, under the auspices of the National Council of Tradesmen and Artisans.

a) Structurally, the Council of Tradesmen and Artisans is physically present on ground in many states. They will form the nucleus of the Police Assistance Committee (PAC) structure.
b) The Associations of various Tradesmen and Artisans are located deep in the grassroots.
c) The Association members and their executives will be co-ordinated by the Council of Tradesmen & Artisans to set up State Police Assistance Committees (PAC) with executives elected amongst them.
d) The Nigeria Police Force will have its representation anywhere Police Assistance Committee is formed.
e) Prominent and responsible citizens in any catchment area will be co-ordinated into Police Assistance Committee (PAC) wherever they are inaugurated.

4. MODALITIES FOR REALIZING OBJECTIVES

Awareness Campaigns:

a) To let members be aware and understand the pitiable condition of policemen and women all over the country.
b) To compare what is obtainable in other lands with our police system especially as regards crime fighting.
c) To prick the consciousness of the Nation to the hardship experienced by police officers.

5. EFFECTIVE MOBILIZATION

a) Zones and categories should be mapped out under Zone Co-ordinators who may be market leaders, tradesmen, artisans, market men and women or public transporters.
b) Small–scale enterprises
c) Big business firms.

6. MAINTENANCE OF PERSONNEL

a) Through incentives and personal awards. Any officer who arrests or foils any robbery attempt should be rewarded accordingly.
b) Team members should also individually be compensated.
c) Each zone to institute awards for the best D.P.O's and Area Commanders Awards of the year.

7. LOGISTICS PROVISION

a) All police stations would be assisted to have radio base sets, telephones and walkie–talkies for easy communication.
b) Motor vehicles would be provided for quick interventions to distress calls at police stations.
c) More bullet proof vests to be acquired for all officers on field work.
d) A concerned effort will be made to sensitize corporate institutions and companies, non-governmental organizations and government institutions to donate funds for the logistics and welfare requirements of the Police Force.

8. EFFECTIVE WAR AGAINST CRIME

a) The strategic phone numbers of all the zones and Area Commands should be printed on stickers or laminated on cards, and distributed for a meager fee to all transporters – buses, trailers, okadas and all other commercial vehicles. They should be instructed to place them in conspicuous positions in their vehicles.
All public places – banks, post offices, local government offices and market places should be placed with these numbers.

9. BENEFITS TO CITIZENS

a) The police will now respond quickly to distress calls.
) The police will be truly our friends.
d) A sound Police Assistance Committee will ensure that members of the public will foster a good co-operation with the police personnel and thus reduce the issue of illegal detention of the people to the bearest minimum.

10. EDUCATION OF THE CITIZENS

a) Citizens should be educated on what exactly they should do on observing or witnessing a robbery or burglary incident or even a riot either about to break-out or already going on. The same applies to people of questionable characters and means, drug pushers, kidnappers, fleeing robbers, etc.
c) They should also be informed of their rights. Many civil cases are being handled by the Police which are not proper.

Police Assistance Committee, in service of the Police: Crime Prevention, Information, Welfare and Support Systems.