[size=14pt]LASTMA, KAI officers to undergo four week training.[/size]

As part of efforts to continuously sharpen the skills of officers charged with the maintenance of law and order in the State, the Lagos State Government has scheduled a four-week training for members of the State’s Transport Management Agency (LASTMA), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and the Neighbourhood Watch.

The training is in furtherance of the quest by the State Governor, Babatunde Fashola to promote law and order in the state by continuously improving the quality of personnel in the various law enforcement agencies and maintaining a professional status by instituting training programmes that are practical, effective and consistent with contemporary international best practices.

According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport Education, Mariam Masha, the career evaluation training which commences on Monday, September 24, 2012, is aimed at equipping the officers with the requisite skills to ensure law and order in the state. It is also expected to enhance the capacity of the officers to effectively implement the recently passed Lagos Road Traffic Law.

The training, which will involve 7,916 officers consisting of 2, 749 LASTMA, 1, 011, KAI and 4, 156 Neighbourhood Watch members, the statement further said, is designed “to determine the suitability and ability of each personnel for the assigned job as officers entrusted to promote law and order in the State, achieve appropriate re-orientation and professionalism of the officers in their respective agencies”.

The statement further explained that the need for the training was informed by Government’s appreciation of the difficult yet important position law enforcement officers are exposed to in their duty to promote law and order by helping to regulate human behaviour on a daily basis adding, “The decision taken by them, which are often taken on the spot, affect peoples’ lives”.

The officers, who will undergo the training as a team “in order to promote trust and espirit de corps among them to better serve the public”, according to the statement, will be trained through seminars and scenario-based sessions which are designed to enhance learning as well as build trust and confidence in the people who they serve.

“The project areas include, but not limited to, community service, where officers will work in various communities to tackle issues ranging from traffic, environment and security as well as volunteering in homes, orphanages and rehabilitation centres across the State”, the statement said.

The training, to be held at the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, will span a 20-month period to cater for all the officers, the statement said.