The commissioner of police in Central Equatoria State, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Lt. Gen. Nichola Dimo Biajo, has urged members of the State Community Policing Board to deepen their collaboration with local communities to eliminate gang violence and reduce crime in the state.
He made the call on Friday and emphasized the importance of building trust between law enforcement and communities during a quarterly meeting in Juba which brought together division commanders, sector commanders, and leaders of the Police Community Relations Committees (PCRC) alongside other security actors and stakeholders.
“There is a need for us to build trust, and to do that, we must work closely with the community so that we achieve our goal of a peaceful society free from crimes and gang violence,” he said. “I encourage the members of the (PCRC) to continue their work and apply the knowledge gained from workshops on community policing.”
For his part, Peter Wani Elia, the Speaker of the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly, reiterated the importance of community policing in maintaining law and order.
“We need to strengthen community policing not only in Juba City but across all six counties of Central Equatoria State. When there is police presence, there is government presence, and where there is no police, it means there is no government,” he stated. “Implementing community policing across the state is crucial for maintaining law and order.”
The forum served as an important platform to reflect on progress, with significant achievements highlighted, including increased security in areas where PCRCs have been established and the expansion of police presence. A key development was the replacement of sector commanders by national police officers, a move that is expected to facilitate closer collaboration between police and civilians to address security challenges.
The Police Community Relations Committees (PCRC), a program supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, aims at boosting security and fostering cooperation between the police and local communities.