Community policing lauded

The acting Commissioner General of Police, Mary Gahonzire has commended the Community policing strategy saying it has contributed greatly to curbing crime Gahonzire said this Tuesday during a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Kacyiru. “The strategy of community policing we employed has bridged the gap between the community and the police which has enabled us get information on crime from people. This is a huge stride taken in combating crime,” she said. Community policing is a strategy that was put in place to involve community members in ensuring their security. Gahonzire further revealed that the police has developed a five year working plan in which they select and prioritise strategic plans for every year. “This year, we focused on public order and safety, disaster prevention and management, community policing, fighting crime, among others and as we stand, most of these have been put in place,” she explained. It was also disclosed that police has carried out extensive trainings among both of the force and the community. “We have sensitized people at different levels, formed anti crime clubs in schools and done training of trainers, with a vision of combating crime from a lower level and empowering community members to enforce security within their midst,” said Emmanuel Butera, the Director of Community Policing. It was also reported that due to the strategic screening measures put in place, the crime rate has reduced compared to previous years.However, that despite the measures in place, some crimes were still prevalent. According to the reports from the crime studies of 2008, drug abuse was top on the list followed by assault, defilement, stealing by conning and Genocide revisionism respectively. The crime rankings according to districts revealed that Nyarugenge came first, followed by Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyagatare and Rubavu, respectively. Police called upon all citizens in different capacities to be responsive to crime and collaborate with the police by reporting threats of crime and crimes themselves in time to speed up crime prevention measures and investigations. Special appeals went to the media to help in e sensitising the public about its responsibilities in crime prevention. The police put out hotlines which people should be using for timely crime reporting. These are 112 for General Public, 3512 for Gender Based Violence and 3511 for Crimes. Ends

National

Community policing lauded