Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa
The police yesterday expressed worry over the increasing incidents of suicide among officers across the country.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zone 5 Headquarters, Mr. Abubakar, Mohammed, who spoke during an interactive session with the rank and file of the Bayelsa State command, noted that statistics available to the force had shown that more cops had taken their lives recently.
Mohammed, a former Director at the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) office in Lyon, France, advised that as a step to resolving the problem, senior police officers must as a matter of importance begin to relate closely with their subordinates to reduce the number of such deaths.
“The Inspector General of Police (IG) has asked us to now go close to our officers as well as the rank and file to know what their problems are because the level of suicide within the police is getting higher.
Police officers are killing themselves without us knowing what their problems are.
“If you have family problems or problem in the office, it is very important to talk to your senior officer who will try to help you. I do not know why it is increasing. Whether it is because of family problems. But if you have any issues bothering you, talk to your immediate senior officers who will approach a more senior one to resolve it,” he said.
He warned officers and men of the force in the zone which covers, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa against divulging the source of information given by members of the public in order to build confidence between the force and the public.
“The police need to relate more with members of the public and develop confidence in their minds without being compromised. Many civilians are afraid that if they give police information, we will divulge the source of the information.
“When that is done, the confidence of the informant disappears and this will be detrimental to our crime fighting strategy. When you harass members of the public , you lose confidence. When you torture suspects, it creates problems between you and civil society in terms of human rights abuse,” Mohammed added.
He urged his men to respect the human rights of suspects, insisting that even the accused persons have certain rights.
“An intelligent police officer can deal with a suspect in a prescribed, acceptable manner rather than using coercive methods. In essence, you change your attitudes. The way you portray yourself will determine whether the person you are getting information from will help you.
“Your appearance matters too. If you appear haggard and dirty, the public sizes you up and disrespects you. If you ask for bribe from the members of the public , they will not respect you. When you ask, they might give, but after leaving, they will curse you and tell you it shall not be well with you.”
“The IG is very serious about the issue of corruption. Therefore, be careful when performing your duty. We are in the digital era, if you misbehave, someone will video you and it will go viral. People will see how you disgraced yourself. You must be a good example to the public,” Mohammed said.
He commended the officers for keeping the state the lowest in terms of crime rate, but cautioned them not to rest on their oars.
“Bayelsa has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and this is attributable to the hard work of the officers. You need to build on the strategy that you already have to achieve more,” he added.
The AIG pledged that officers would soon start benefitting from a mass housing scheme proposed by the leadership of the force.
“Many police officers serve 35 years without a roof over their heads. To this end, the IG is planning a mass housing scheme for officers and men. You will occupy it and it will be deducted from your emoluments,” the police chief explained.
