Rise in crime shocks police

The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has expressed shock over the general breakdown in security and rise in criminal activities in the country.

Commissioner of Police for the Centre, Clifford Devson Bandawe, said this in Lilongwe yesterday when he opened a day-long Community Policing Regional Executive Committee (REC) meeting.

He said MPS is determined to arrest and bring all criminals to book through strategies it has developed such as enhancing border patrols, sweeping operations and visibility of uniformed police officers as well as erecting ad hoc roadblocks in both urban and rural areas of the country.

Said Bandawe: “We will also increase intelligence collection, expedite investigations of any reported case, ensure quick prosecution of cases and provide timely response of any reported case. We will also promote community policing strategies. In so doing we may decrease crime.”

He emphasised that law enforcers will need the “indulgence of the communities and all stakeholders” for their strategies and plans to bear the desired fruits.

Hence, Bandawe said MPS will work towards empowering communities to deal with specific crime, thereby preventing criminal activities in their localities.

Bandawe described as unfortunate the tendency by some community members to destroy police infrastructure when differences arise between law enforcers and the people.

Bandawe said: “I appeal to members of the public to avoid razing down police infrastructure because this cannot provide solutions to the problems being encountered. Instead, we should encourage partnership through community-based policing.”

REC chairperson Pastor Edson Jere called for enhanced and renewed commitment between MPS and communities in combating crime in the country.

He said while the region had registered a decline in crime, there is still a lot of work to do to completely eliminate it. n