Closer ties among regional policing organs critical

A CONFERENCE of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) kicks off today in Kigali. The meeting which will draw police chiefs from the Sub-Sahara region is an opportune moment to collectively address security issues that continue to bog the region. The meeting should provide a platform for discussion of the emerging criminal acts and the sophistication with which authors of these crimes evade the long arm of the law. As the theme for the conference states, (Contemporary policing for a safer world), the meeting should come up with recommendations and solutions that will ensure that cross-border crime is stamped out. The liberalisation of borders by regional countries to ease movement of goods and services should not be taken advantage of by criminals to evade justice. At the beginning of last year, Rwanda took the lead by allowing holders of passports of any African state to acquire their entry visas upon entry. This was followed, at the beginning of this year, by another initiative by the heads of state of Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya who took measures to facilitate nationals of these countries to cross borders using their national identity cards. Such milestones, though introduced for the greater good, can be taken advantage of by criminals, meaning that work is now cut out for the regional police forces to ensure that criminals do not escape justice wherever they go. Cooperation therefore is key to fight crime across the region. Keeping up with the trends, especially in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is critical for regional policing institutions to make the region safer and to consolidate efforts in the fight against crime.

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Closer ties among regional policing organs critical