Crime prevention goes to schools

By Eddie Ssejjoba                      

The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has taken the crime prevention campaigns to schools and tertiary institutions as part of the community policing program to fight and prevent crime in the country.

The National Crime Preventers' Forum (NCPF) was recently formed by the police through which community policing experts would traverse schools and help in the formation of community policing clubs as one of the strategies to fight and prevent crime amongst schools and in their communities. 

The UPF Human Resource Development Director, Felix Kaweewi Monday launched the crime preventers' forum at the International University of East Africa in Kansanga, a Kampala city suburb where he presided over the climax of secondary schools debate competition.

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Nyakasura School students celebrate with a trophy after winning the crime preventers’' debate competition

The debate competition was won by Nyakasura School from Western Uganda that had fielded three debaters including Seth Yonasi, caroline Atuhura and David Baluku Idembe.

They were followed by Bishop Cyprian SS and Mengo SS respectively.

Four schools, including Nyakasura, Mengo SS, Bishop Cyprian SS and Katikamu SDA reached the finals out of 32 that participated in the competition that focused mainly on issues about security and how students can get involved in preventing crime in both their school and home communities.

The debate theme was 'The role of secondary schools towards a crime free society'.   
 
Kaweesi said that the police force had decided to rollout crime prevention strategies and approaches to all schools in the country so that they could be able to tackle the vice right from the grassroots.

He said over 200 schools took part in the campaign but pledged that they would be able to reach out to all parts of the country.

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He said many school children meet security challenges in their respective schools including terrorism, fires, strikes, abuse of children and on their way back home for those in day schools.

"We will reach out our messages to all children to open their eyes and ears in fighting crimes and be able to prevent the vices," he said.

Kaweesi said President Yoweri Museveni recently launched Crime Prevention and the police has been mobilizing communities to take part , which they had decided take to schools as well.
"Children at school, on their way back home and during holidays meet a lot of challenges, which they must be sensitized about especially through letting them debate about such issues," Kaweesi said.

He said the program would work in close collaboration with school administrators to ensure everyone is brought on board, including Universities and other tertiary institutions.

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