CPCs Advance People-Centred Public Safety with Community-Driven Action Plan in Benue

Community Policing Committee (CPC) members in Guma and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State have developed a six-month, community-driven action plan aimed at strengthening safety and security within their communities. The action plan outlines practical steps to improve early warning systems, enhance reporting and response mechanisms, prevent conflict, and deepen cooperation between community members and formal security institutions.

The action plan emerged from a two-day engagement held under the People-Centred Public Safety (Community Policing) Project. The engagement was designed to bring safety closer to the people by centring discussions on community realities, lived experiences, and locally defined security priorities.

During the sessions, CPC members, traditional leaders, and other community stakeholders engaged in open dialogue to reflect on what safety truly means within their local contexts. Participants shared firsthand experiences of security challenges, identified existing gaps in response systems, and explored practical, community-led solutions tailored to their specific needs.

A key focus of the engagement was strengthening early warning and response mechanisms. CPC members discussed strategies for improving information sharing at the community level, ensuring timely reporting of security concerns, and fostering trust-based collaboration with security agencies to enable swift and effective interventions.

Conflict prevention also featured prominently in the discussions. Participants examined the root causes of local tensions and emphasised the importance of dialogue, mediation, and inclusive community engagement as tools for preventing disputes from escalating into violence. The resulting action plan reflects these priorities, positioning CPCs as proactive agents of peace and stability.

By placing communities at the centre of decision-making, the six-month action plan serves as a locally owned roadmap for sustainable safety and accountability. It reinforces the principle that communities are not passive recipients of security but active partners in shaping and maintaining public safety.

Beyond Guma and Katsina-Ala, the People-Centred Public Safety Project has also recorded significant progress in Agatu Local Government Area. Advocacy engagements with local authorities and stakeholders led to an official commitment by the Agatu LGA to establish a Community Policing Committee.

Speaking on behalf of the Local Government Chairman, the Council Secretary described the initiative as timely, particularly in light of seasonal security pressures often associated with increased movement of herders during the dry season. He reaffirmed the LGA’s commitment to working closely with communities and security agencies to ensure the successful establishment and functioning of the CPC.

The Council Secretary further emphasised the importance of community participation in addressing security challenges at the grassroots level, noting that collaboration between residents, traditional leaders, and security institutions remains critical to achieving lasting peace in the area.

Overall, the People-Centred Public Safety Project is strengthening community ownership of security across participating local government areas while fostering trust and collaboration between residents and security institutions. The project is implemented with support from the Open Society Foundations and continues to demonstrate the impact of community-led approaches to public safety in Benue State.

Written by Linus Egwu