Oyo Police, PCRC Launch Safe School Drive as New Academic Session Opens

The Command says the Safe School initiative will boost police visibility around schools, protect pupils, teachers and staff, and lean on community tip-offs to head off threats before they happen.

The Oyo State Police Command has launched a renewed school safety drive in partnership with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), as schools across the state resume for the new academic session.

The Command said the initiative, tagged the Safe School programme, is designed to strengthen security around schools through increased police visibility, protection of pupils, students, teachers and other school personnel, and the safeguarding of school infrastructure.

According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the programme also involves improved community-based intelligence gathering and prompt response to emerging security threats around learning centres in the state.

The launch coincided with the 42nd anniversary celebration of the PCRC in Oyo State, an event the Command described as marking the committee’s long-running partnership with the police on community safety.

The National Chairman of the PCRC, Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan, attended the launch alongside the Chairperson of the Oyo State PCRC and other stakeholders, according to the statement, which said their presence reflected a shared commitment to protecting school communities across the state.

The statement said the Command is deepening engagement with the PCRC Safe School Club, school proprietors, administrators, Parent-Teacher Associations, teachers, parents and students, with the goal of building a collaborative framework for the early identification, reporting and prevention of threats in and around schools.

Police personnel assigned to school protection duties have been directed to remain vigilant, maintain close contact with school communities and respond promptly to credible security information, the Command said.

The Command urged school proprietors, administrators, teachers, parents, students and members of the public to remain security-conscious and to promptly report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements or activities around schools, using the slogan “See something, say something.”

Members of the public seeking to report emergencies or suspicious activity around schools can reach the Oyo State Call Response Center on its toll-free line, 615, or the Command’s control room on 08081768614 and 07055495413, the statement added.

The Command said it remains committed to working with the PCRC and other stakeholders to maintain a safe and conducive learning environment across Oyo State.