Robbery, burglary rates up
While crime rate in general has decreased between January and June this year, Malawi Police Service (MPS) registered increased robberies and burglaries during the period.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said there is a general decrease in crime rate, with 22 839 cases recorded nationwide between January and June 2020, against 22 475 recorded over the same period this year.
A table compiled by MPS, that Kadadzera made available to Nation on Sunday, shows a six percent increase in crimes such as robbery, registering 1 197 cases this year against last year’s 1 076.
Burglary, an offence the Penal Code recognises as a serious felony which attracts a custodial sentence, increased by 27 percent, registering 5 160 cases this year, from 4 323 in 2020.
And despite extensive campaigns by human rights bodies against abuse of underage girls and heavy sentences the Judiciary meted out to defilers, cases of defilement have risen in the period under review, with 1 195 cases registered this year against last year’s 926.
Rape cases, too, have gone up from 105 recorded between January and June last year to 116 cases registered this year, same period.
Mangochi District also shows a slight increase in crime during the third quarter of 2021 (July, August and September) in comparison with the same period in 2020, according to Mangochi Police Station public relations officer Amina Daudi.
The district recorded eight murder cases this year as compared to six last year, five rape cases this year as compared to zero last year and two incest cases this year as compared to zero last year.
Defilement cases, according to Daudi, also increased to 21 from 18 last year, burglary dropped to 30 from 35 last year, burglary is up to 25 from 22 last year and general theft dropped to 74 from 80 last year.
She said in a response to a questionnaire that what helped them to contain the crime rate was the introduction of strategic points, increased community policing forums and community traffic wardens.
“Apart from that we’ve been doing frequent sweeping exercises, border, day and night patrols (vehicle and foot). Despite the rise in the sexual offences we’ve and are still working together with various stakeholders like social welfare, Yoneco and World Vision International just to a mention a few, conducting awareness and school outreach programmes.
“Furthermore we placed security confidential boxes in various schools and public places so that learners may report secretly,” said Daudi.
She said their traffic police officers were already executing their duties day and night in all roads in the district to make sure that traffic laws are followed.
