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New-look policing strategy
2007-06-02 10:24:53
By Guardian Reporter
The Police Force is planning to introduce a new neighbourhood watch programme to enable the public to participate more fully in community policing in the country.
Addressing the media at the Force`s headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Police spokesperson Esaka Mugasa described the planned exercise as one of the most important techniques used in many parts of the world in preventing or combating crime.
``People need to discuss ways to reduce and prevent criminal acts for their safety,`` said Assistant Commissioner of Police Mugasa.
He said the police force had every hope that the programme would tame criminals using small and light weapons.
Elaborating, he said the programme differed from that of deploying traditional militia popularly known as `sungusungu` because the latter were operating “without the blessings of the government as such``.
``You might remember that during the days of `sungusungu` people of particular places would form their own teams that operated the way they wanted. At times that caused more problems than solutions in the respective communities,`` he noted.
ACP Mugasa said the police force has decided to initiate a community policing and neighbourhood watch programme that will be known all over the country. ``It will take off soon after it is officially launched,`` he added.
``Police alone cannot effectively fight evil in the country. We need communities to assist us.
Public defence and security starts from the level of the family and neighbourhoods, gradually covering the whole country,” Mugasa explained further.
ACP Mugasa had earlier briefed the press on the expected arrival on Monday of a delegation of top police officers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi for routine consultations relating to the supply and circulation of small arms in the region.
Burundi serves as the regional centre for national coordination committees on small arms and light weapons.
He said the officers would include national committee chairpersons and their deputies.
Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Dominic Hayuma from the Tanzania Police Department of Criminal investigation, the national focal point for the committee`s activities, said Tanzania was hosting the consultations ``because we are the only country in the East Africa, Horn of Africa and South of Africa region to have fulfilled the international (Nairobi and SADC) protocols on small and light weapons``.
``Kenya and Uganda have tried their best, but they need to put in efforts and attend to some pending issues in order to fulfil all the protocols,” he pointed out, adding: ``Burundi and Rwanda need to take time to learn from our three countries particularly given that the two are planning to join the East African Community.``
``Tanzania has also established law-enforcement agencies at regional and district level all over the country. Teams of police officers have been deployed to offer training to members of the public on how to conduct community policing,`` noted SACP Hayuma.
He said there would be a police post built in each ward and the neighbourhood police watches would be compulsory, with councillors, ward executive officers and religious leaders undergoing training before everybody else.
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