Ondo State Police Command has disclosed that it apprehended no fewer than 203 suspects for various offences and recovered 692 arms and ammunition in the state.
State Commissioner of Police, Partick Dukumor stated this while addressing newsmen in his office at the state police headquarters in Akure, attributing the success to the on-going transformation in the force.
Dukumor explained that the police transformation agenda directed by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, which the command has imbibed, enabled it to religiously pursue the set targets and launch serious onslaught against crimes throughout the year 2013.
The CP said that the policing strategies had served as a veritable platform on which the command negotiated the reduction in crimes and maintained peace in Ondo State.
The strategies applied by the command, according to him, included visibility policing, intensive patrol and prompt response to distress call.
Other strategies are intelligence networking, integrated synergy with sister security agencies in the areas of intelligence sharing and robust symbolic relationship with members of the public, corporate bodies and organisations.
He further said the improvement in the command’s strategies had yielded positive gains in the onslaught against criminality compared to 2012.
The CP stressed that the transformation had resulted in a drastic reduction of crimes perpetrated in 2013 under review as compared to previous year as attested to in the enduring peace enjoyed by residents and visitors to the state.
Analysing the achievements recorded in 2013 by the command, Dukumor said among the arrests made were 105 armed robbery suspects, 26 kidnap suspects, 45 rape suspects and those for other offences.
H e said that 30 vehicles and 15 motorcycles were recovered together with different arms and ammunition of various grades and types.
Dukumor has therefore assured that the command would this year undauntedly remain focused and committed to her core constitutional responsibilities of safeguarding lives and property in the state.
He added that the command had embarked on new strategies and innovations to ensure that crimes are further reduced to the barest minimum
He urged the people of the state to continue to give the police timely and useful information that would assist in getting rid of crimes in Ondo State.