The Lagos State Government at the weekend disclosed that it had spent N12 billion to fight crime and ensure sustained public order between 2007 and 2014, noting that crime fighting and prevention required sustained partnership with the corporate bodies.
Likewise, the state government realised N1 billion in cash donations from various corporate organisations and individuals while others made commitments to provide security patrol vehicles, gadgets and technical knowhow.
The state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode disclosed what the state had spent on crime fighting in the last seven years at a dinner organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) at Victoria Island.
Ambode, who addressed captains of industry at the dinner alongside the fund’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey and the Chairman of its board, Chief Remi Makanjuola, sought the support of corporate bodies to fight crime in the metropolis.
The governor commended the private sector contribution to the LSSTF in the last seven years, which he put at a total of N4 billion, while the state government contributed about N8 billion to the fund in the same period.
However, Ambode said the state government was not resting on its oars, revealing that in the last 60 days, his administration had been fashioning new strategies to enhance security.
He also unveiled plans to strengthen the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) as well as establish an integrated security and emergency control platform, such that the control and command centre in Alausa would have an interface with other security networks through the surveillance cameras which would be provided.
He noted that his administration remained committed to evolving new strategies to effectively police Lagos and rid the state of all forms of criminal activities, noting that it “is in my interest that I drive the business of making Lagos safer and it’s also in my interest that you join hands with me to succeed in this.
“Right now we have just about 33,000 people policing us and we’re about 20 million. So, if you combine other forces, the Fire Service, LASTMA and Ambulance service, it might bring the number to about 40,000 of them as against 20 million people.
“I can admit we lack the right technology. We don’t have a holistic approach to coordinate everything that we are doing and then we don’t have the security management that Lagos actually needs, so we are under -policed and we are not getting the right technology to be able to say that Lagos is secured. We must now integrate men, equipment and technology to keep Lagos safer.
“So technically, Lagos state government, the Police and other security agencies have analog technology right now, there is no interface amongst all of us. So we need to migrate to digital for improved information dissemination”, he said.
Thisday
