The newly appointed Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, has unveiled his security agenda for the state, pledging intelligence-driven, proactive and technology-enabled policing aimed at protecting lives and property and tackling kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, cybercrime and other criminal activities.
Erale, who is the 25th Commissioner of Police of the Delta State Command, made the commitment on Tuesday during his inaugural press briefing in Asaba.
The police commissioner said the safety and security of residents and visitors to Delta State would remain the priority of his administration, stressing that he would deploy every lawful means available to ensure that people feel safe in their homes, workplaces, communities and other places of interest.
According to him, Delta State occupies a strategic position as one of Nigeria’s economic hubs and remains critical to the stability and development of the Niger Delta region, making an effective security architecture essential to sustaining peace and economic activities.
Erale said his mission was to promote discipline and provide intelligence-driven, community-oriented and professionally coordinated policing that would protect lives and property, prevent and detect crime, apprehend and prosecute criminals, and strengthen public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
He identified discipline as one of the major pillars of his administration, promising strict adherence to police rules and regulations, ethics, public service rules and the rule of law.
The new CP also declared zero tolerance for corruption, extortion and other forms of professional misconduct, while pledging to promote respect for human rights and reward officers who demonstrate integrity and exceptional service.
On community policing, Erale said the Command would strengthen its relationship with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth organisations, women’s groups, religious bodies and other critical stakeholders.
He said members of the public would be encouraged to provide community-based intelligence and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
“The police must be accessible and responsive to the peculiar security needs of every community,” he said.
Erale also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between the Police and other security agencies operating in the state.
According to him, the Command would promote joint operations, intelligence sharing, coordinated patrols and rapid response mechanisms to tackle emerging security threats across Delta State.
On crime fighting, the commissioner said the Command would adopt intelligence-led and proactive policing strategies designed to prevent crimes before they occur.
He said ongoing operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, cybercrime, violent crimes, oil-related crimes and other emerging threats would be intensified.
The CP added that personnel and operational resources would be deployed based on crime trends and identified hotspots across the state.
Erale further pledged to restore and sustain public confidence in the Police through professionalism, fairness and prompt response to complaints.
He assured residents that citizens would be treated with dignity and respect irrespective of their social status, while police visibility and responsiveness would also be strengthened.
The commissioner said his administration would work towards creating a policing culture in which residents see the Police as partners in maintaining security rather than merely as an enforcement institution.
As part of his agenda, Erale announced plans to review the Command’s existing crime-fighting strategies to determine areas that require improvement.
He said the Command would shift from largely reactive policing to proactive, intelligence-driven and technology-enabled crime prevention.
The CP also disclosed plans to establish measurable performance indicators for tactical teams and restructure their activities and operations where necessary.
According to him, the Command would continuously adapt its strategies to emerging crime patterns through data analysis, intelligence assessment, technology and regular training of personnel.
Erale acknowledged the contributions of his predecessor, CP Yemi John Oyeniyi, and the management team of the Command, saying his administration would consolidate existing gains while confronting emerging security challenges with renewed energy.
“We will build forward, not backwards, consolidating gains while confronting emerging threats with renewed energy and clarity,” he said.
He appealed to residents of Delta State to support the Police with useful, timely and credible information, stressing that public cooperation remained essential to effective policing.
“If you see something, say something,” the police commissioner urged.
Erale also assured members of the media of a professional and frank working relationship, while calling on officers and men of the Command to align themselves with the mission statement and key agenda of his leadership.
