Inter-Party Cooperation wrong on crime fighters
Dec 08, 2010
EDITOR: It was very unfair for the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) to accuse the Police, the army and other security agencies for the training and deployment of 884 volunteers who have been recruited as village crime fighters in Ntungamo and 400 in Bushenyi districts.
EDITOR: It was very unfair for the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) to accuse the Police, the army and other security agencies for the training and deployment of 884 volunteers who have been recruited as village crime fighters in Ntungamo and 400 in Bushenyi districts.
According to Margaret Wokuri, director for publicity and communication at the IPC campaign bureau, Police have suspiciously combined its Mobile Police Patrol Unit and the Anti Stock Theft Unit to form a Field Force Unit. The purpose, she says, is to to help district authorities create village crime fighters during next year’s elections.
That is not true. The main aim was to streamline the command and control of the two units which have been performing similar tasks. This has brought the Police at par with her neighbours in the East African Community which has similar units.
The IPC should realise that crime prevention is part of community policing. It is the duty of Police to cooperate with civilian authorities to detect and prevent crime. And the citizens are also bound to cooperate with lawful agencies in maintaining law and order.
The Police spokesperson Vicent Ssekata clarified that crime preventers are recruited by Police and are not doing it in Ntungamo alone but in the whole of Uganda. He told every district police commander to recruit at least 100 crime preventers at every village. Crime must be fought in the country. Countries like the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, Canada and many others have invested heavily in community policing.
I am very sure the ongoing training and recruitment of Police officers is in line with the Uganda Police force mandate to provide security of person and property in Uganda. It will be enhanced especially during the festival season and the 2011 general elections to ensure free and fair elections with the support of all citizens.
Annah Nabaasa
Ntungamo
According to Margaret Wokuri, director for publicity and communication at the IPC campaign bureau, Police have suspiciously combined its Mobile Police Patrol Unit and the Anti Stock Theft Unit to form a Field Force Unit. The purpose, she says, is to to help district authorities create village crime fighters during next year’s elections.
That is not true. The main aim was to streamline the command and control of the two units which have been performing similar tasks. This has brought the Police at par with her neighbours in the East African Community which has similar units.
The IPC should realise that crime prevention is part of community policing. It is the duty of Police to cooperate with civilian authorities to detect and prevent crime. And the citizens are also bound to cooperate with lawful agencies in maintaining law and order.
The Police spokesperson Vicent Ssekata clarified that crime preventers are recruited by Police and are not doing it in Ntungamo alone but in the whole of Uganda. He told every district police commander to recruit at least 100 crime preventers at every village. Crime must be fought in the country. Countries like the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, Canada and many others have invested heavily in community policing.
I am very sure the ongoing training and recruitment of Police officers is in line with the Uganda Police force mandate to provide security of person and property in Uganda. It will be enhanced especially during the festival season and the 2011 general elections to ensure free and fair elections with the support of all citizens.
Annah Nabaasa
Ntungamo