The Rwanda National Police has called for concerted efforts and collective responsibility to ensure a safe and crime free environment this year.

The call was made by the head of Community Policing Chief  in the National Police, Supt. Emmanuel Butera over the weekend.

"It is important that we create and support community partnerships to ensure that all patrol personnel appreciate that community safety is their primary responsibility and all police-men should always support the process,” Butera told The New Times at his office in Kacyiru.

He said there is a great need to entrust citizens with the protection and to serve the public’s fundamental rights to liberty, equality and justice under the law without relying on the police alone.

Butera expressed the desire for police officers to acquire a general consciousness of concepts of democracy, justice, fundamental freedoms and human rights through intensive capacity building.

"That is why the government of Rwanda opted for the community policing strategy and establishment of community policing committees (CPC),” he said.

He added that Laison Officers have subsequently been trained and deployed in all sectors to reinforce and coordinate activities of the CPC’s.

CPC’s are responsible for scanning the environment and assessing problems as well as finding immediate solutions without waiting for the police to intervene.

According to Butera, security is the key to sustainable development and he called upon all stakeholders to participate in prioritising this.

In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), community policing is focusing on capacity through training and sensitization of community members like schools, opinion leaders and local authorities.

This is to strengthen and awaken the will of the community in prevention and crime reduction to jointly maintain a safe and crime free country.

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