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Mwema: Armed crime down by half
2006-09-09 09:37:02
By Pastory Nguvu
Hardcore criminals who featured prominently on the police most-wanted list have been arrested.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Saidi Mwema said yesterday in Dar es Salaam that a total of 24 gangsters had been arrested in the past six months.
Mwema said the arrests followed interrogation of many people on suspicion of being crime accomplices.
Mwema made the revelation when he briefed President Jakaya Kikwete, who was on a two-day tour at the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, on crime levels in the country.
”Towards the end of 2005, there was poor state of security that led to increased crime,especially armed robbery.
This forced the police to come up with new strategies, which have now started bearing fruits since the beginning of 2006,” Mwema said.
He said apart from arresting the 24 gangsters, the police also impounded 1,534 guns and 1,835 rounds of ammunition.
The police boss said in addition, armed robbery had dropped by 50 per cent in the period between April and June this year.
He called upon the public to continue giving the police information to enable them clamp down on suspects. He said 200m /- had been set aside to reward people who provide information on crime.
Mwema said that shortage of staff was a major handicap, given the ration of one policeman for every 1,400 civilians.
He said the current ratio does not subscribe to the international requirement of 1:450.
Minister for Public Safety and Security Bakari Mwapachu told the President that his ministry had formulated new strategies to combat all forms of crimes.
Regarding improving the performance of traffic police, Mwapachu said the ministry was planning to amend traffic regulations and to bring new ones in tandem with emerging challenges.
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