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Security on Isles beefed up to check crime spiral
2005-09-22 08:26:02
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
Security has been beefed up in Zanzibar following a sharp rise in armed robbery incidents and escalating political tension.
Heavily armed police have been deployed at strategic points on major roads in Zanzibar to respond to emergencies.
According to Zanzibar Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Ramadhan Kinyogo, the steps taken are intended to bring under control the spate of armed robberies that rocked the Isles in the recent past.
Over the past two months gangsters raided two tourist hotels, while others made their way into a military base, broke into a strong-room and made away with officers’ salaries.
’’The deployment of the police marks the beginning of a serious attempt to crack down on escalating crime on the islands. We want Zanzibar to be as safe as possible.
We are deploying more policemen on the streets, having begun with West Urban Region, where crime has been rampant,’’ Kinyogo said.
He said large sums of money had been stolen in Zanzibar as armed gangsters went on the rampage in the recent past.
’’We don’t want this to happen again,’’ the police officer said.
Anti-riot police patrol the streets on trucks to monitor election campaign rallies and respond to distress calls.
The decision to monitor political campaigns for possible violence was necessitated by the improved security initiative following recent violent clashes between CUF and CCM party supporters.
However, interviewed residents expressed fear that the number of police on the streets would scare voters from taking part in the elections.
On his part, CUF Deputy Director of Information and Policy Salim Bimani said the over-presence of policemen on the streets would intimidate voters ahead of the October polls.
Addressing residents of Bumbwini in North Unguja region in a campaign rally, Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume ordered regional commissioners and the police force to step up security and bring to justice criminals and people inclined to ruin the October general election.
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