Residents want increase police visibility

Amid a continued lapse in security across the country, Malawians have asked police to enhance their visibility as part of strengthening security.

In separate random interviews yesterday, residents in the country’s three major cities said increased police.

Mike Nyasulu from Chinyonga Township in Blantyre said: “We have had cases where people have been getting attacked soon after dropping off from the main stage and within the neighbourhood.

“If there was always the presence of police, I personally think such incidents would not be happening.”

Mzuzu-based resident Martin Chimbewa said police visibility will ensure reduced robberies and attacks both on individuals and residential properties.

“Criminals cannot have the ability to carry out an attack on an individual or a residential property because they would be afraid of the police that would be around a particular area,” he said.

Lilongwe-based resident Lisa Sabola also agreed with Chimbewa, saying police need to do more in ensuring the citizenry remains protected.

But when contacted yesterday, National Police deputy spokesperson Harry Namwaza said the service is striving to provide security to Malawians.

He said: “We are conducting patrols day and night to ensure there is police visibility throughout. However, the issue about patrols is that at times we are mobile going around checking that we don’t have security threats and if any to deal with them.”

While allaying the security lapse, Namwaza, however, acknowledged that the country continues to register some cases of major concern in certain areas.

He stressed that most perpetrators of the cases registered before were arrested and some got convicted.

But he appealed to Malawians to tip police of any suspicious people or activities in their vicinity.

As a security measure, Namwaza said people should also keep contacts of their nearest police stations so that whenever they have a security threat they should make a call.

In previous months, there has been a spate of robberies both in residential and central business districts (CBDs) w i t h p e r p e t r a t o r s targeting individuals especially coming from work and residential properties.

But security expert Sherriff Kaisi yesterday said police need to do more on enhancing its visibility as crime continues to be rampant across the country.

He said: “Security is a complex matter but can best be handled on how serious police can embark on various mechanisms like maximising patrols and equipping police officers.”

According to Kaisi, it would be imperative for police to also consider ha v ing an a l l – t ime presence of officers in areas where there are rampant cases of robberies and attacks.

He said police conduct in p r ema tur e l y o r fraudulently handling cases of some suspects and releasing them is among the possible contributing factors to the current security lapse.

Institutions like police and Sanjika Palace in Blantyre, among other high profile State institutions, have in recent months had their share of such robberies and attacks.