By Odita Sunday
The newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, has pledged to overhaul the state’s crime-fighting strategy, strengthen community policing and enforce greater discipline among officers and men of the Command.
Erale, who assumed office as the 25th Commissioner of Police in the state, said his administration would prioritise the protection of lives and property while adopting intelligence-driven and technology-enabled policing to tackle emerging security threats.
Addressing journalists in Asaba on Tuesday, the new CP said Delta’s strategic importance as an economic hub in the Niger Delta made an effective security architecture imperative for the state’s development and stability.
He said his administration would intensify operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, cybercrime, violent crime, oil-related offences and other emerging criminal activities across the state.
Erale said the Command would also deploy personnel and resources based on crime trends and identified hotspots, rather than relying predominantly on reactive policing.
According to him, the Command would conduct a comprehensive review of its existing operational strategies to determine what works, what requires improvement and what needs to be discarded.
He said measurable performance indicators would be established for tactical teams, while their activities and operations would be restructured to improve efficiency and accountability.
The commissioner also placed discipline at the centre of his administration, warning that officers would be required to strictly adhere to police regulations, ethics and the rule of law.
He pledged zero tolerance for corruption, extortion and other forms of ethical misconduct, while promising to reward officers who demonstrate integrity and exceptional commitment to duty.
On community policing, Erale said the Command would deepen its partnership with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth organisations, women’s groups, religious bodies and other stakeholders.
He urged residents to provide timely and credible information to the police, stressing that effective policing could not be achieved without the cooperation of members of the public.
The commissioner also promised stronger collaboration with sister security agencies through joint operations, intelligence sharing, coordinated patrols and rapid response to emerging threats.
He said restoring public confidence would remain a major priority, with officers expected to treat citizens with dignity and respect regardless of their status.
Erale further pledged to make the police more accessible and responsive while strengthening police visibility across communities.
He said his administration would seek to build a policing culture in which residents see the police as partners in securing their communities rather than merely as an enforcement institution.
The new commissioner acknowledged the contributions of his predecessor, CP Yemi John Oyeniyi, and the Command’s management team, saying the new administration would consolidate existing gains while confronting emerging security challenges with renewed determination.
He appealed to residents to support the police with useful information, urging them to speak up whenever they notice suspicious activities.
“To the good people of Delta State, I encourage you to support the Police by providing useful, timely and credible information,” he said.
Erale also assured members of the media of his readiness to maintain a professional and frank relationship with them, while charging officers and men of the Command to align themselves with his mission and agenda.
He said the ultimate objective of his administration was to make Delta State safer for residents, visitors and businesses.
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