Drones to patrol streets
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday February 22, 2022 06:00
Officers vowed to enhance police visibility by introducing drone patrols and surveillance at crime hotspots and borderlines. Addressing the media at the end of the conference, police commissioner Keabetswe Makgophe revealed having sleepless nights following the rise in robbery attacks in Botswana. Makgophe said people are living in constant fear of criminals while in the comfort of their homes and driving their cars.
He said whilst the year 2020 saw a sharp decline of 22.8% in total crime, a 16.5% increase was recorded in 2021. “A notable increase was realised, especially in cases of break-ins and robbery with the latter going up by 18.6% and for the first time the country experienced a spate of armed robberies targetting cash-in-transit vehicles,” he said. He said they have resolved to make sure that Botswana becomes a safe nation for its people and be able to attract investors. Makgophe disclosed to have decided to prioritise categories of offences that have been a concern to Batswana and take them head-on in the elimination. Furthermore, Makgophe revealed that crime performance for the year 2021 was not impressive at all because they recorded an increase in almost all offences. He stated that the increase had followed the relaxation of most of the COVID-19 protocols like the curfew as there was lots of movement hence an increase in criminal activities. Makgophe said the installation of 'Safer City' cameras in Francistown and Gaborone streets are cost-effective because they are playing a significant role in fighting crime.
He said if he had enough money he would install them in every junction and amongst all crime hotspots because they have since made many arrests with the help of the camera images. He admitted that those cameras can fail to capture everything that occurs in proximity while facing the other side but they have made a breakthrough in some crime incidents with the help of those cameras including traffic offences. “We have made a breakthrough even in rape cases that occurred in the bush and were able to arrest the suspect with the help of those cameras. Some road traffic accidents that occurred between two people have also been resolved through the use of these cameras.
Even in the recent case of Minister of Health and Wellness, Edwin Dikoloti’s attack by criminals, police detected the robbery through the use of 'Safer City' cameras and they have since identified two of the criminals even though they have not arrested them as yet,” Makgophe said. Asked about policing of hotspots, the police chief said the crime prevalence at the sites has drastically dropped due to police patrols but stated that people should appreciate the fact that they always divert their resources to do things that are not their core businesses like controlling traffic. The conference further resolved to expand on the accessibility of services through the use of technology acknowledging that the youth continue to be the most affected by various forms of crime like Gender-Based Violence, drugs, road traffic violations and more.
The police also vowed to leverage social media and youth forums that mostly attract the youth to spread crime prevention information. Furthermore, the conference resolved to intensify the implementation of the community policing strategy to increase community participation, intensify the utilisation of booze buses and prioritise the sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols programme.