Building more police stations to strengthen efficiency
Pini Bothoko | Monday August 19, 2024 06:00
The Commissioner of Police, Dinah Marathe, has revealed that the project would strengthen the service’s efficiency in delivering their mandate, in terms of improving the quality and accessibility of policing services. Marathe said this during a press conference on the simultaneous ground breaking of the 28 police stations that was held at the police headquarters office in Gaborone this week. She was adamant that the project would contribute significantly towards bringing policing services closer to the community, which is in line with the service’s national commitments and organisation’s transformation philosophy. She further stated that the project that was approved under the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP), is a massive undertaking with a broader reach in the history of police development projects.
“The police stations will be built in 27 villages across the country as follows, Artesia, Chobokwane, Digawana, Dobe, Eretsha, Hukuntsi, Khawa, Lerala, Makaleng, Matsiloje, Marapong, Mmadinare, Metlobo, Mmankgodi, Mochudi (Boseja ward), Mogoditshane, Molepolole (Suping & Magokotswane wards) Mmopane, Mookane, Moshupa, Mosolotshane, Otse, Phitshane-Molopo, Sebina, Serowe (Dinokwane ward), Thamaga, and West Hanahai. The areas were mainly prioritised on the strength of proximity to the main police station and volume of crime,” Marathe said. The police Commissioner further stated that the project is budgeted at around P1, 665, 290, 000 and the model facility is a single-storey office block comprising nine offices, seven staff houses, two vehicles, office furniture, ICT Equipment and other support resources. She said this move is a clear testimony that Botswana Police Service (BPS) remains committed and resolute in its efforts to delivering on its core mandate of ensuring public safety and security, in partnership with the community. ‘The construction of 28 police stations is an integral part of the BPS’ Corporate Development Strategy goal No. 1, which pronounces our resolve to assure the safety and security of our nation.
I wish in this regard to profoundly thank the government of Botswana for its unwavering support towards resourcing the BPS to better serve and protect Batswana and visiting foreign nationals. The invaluable support extends to infrastructure development,” she said. She further disclosed that the project has been awarded to two local contractors being, Home Safe Properties PTY Ltd / China Jiangsu International Botswana Joint Venture and Unik Construction Engineering. Marathe said the two companies have in turn subcontracted around 36 citizen-owned companies. “This is an exceptional project that exemplifies the ideals of the mindset change initiative championed by President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Unlike previous development projects, the 28 police stations will be delivered through a Turnkey Approach and we are confident of the timely and successful completion of the project,” Marathe said.
Additionally, Marathe said to ensure ownership and strengthened partnership with the communities to be serviced through this project they had invited Dikgosi from the 27 villages and respective Members of Parliament (MPs), among other dignitaries at the ground breaking ceremony because they want them to play a role and drive the implementation of these projects as active participants and stakeholders. In this regard, Marathe said the service has pledged a customer-centric police service in which the voice of the customer matters and remains key in the efforts to providing a relevant and professional policing service. She added that their prioritised focus areas towards meeting customers’ expectations and needs include visible policing, traffic management, feedback to customers, response to reports, quality of investigations, and staff welfare, amongst others. Moreover, the Commissioner highlighted another partnership project revealing to have recently embarked on, “Adopt a Police Station Initiative” identifying it as a police/business community partnership with the objective of uplifting the look and feel of police stations, particularly community service centres and their surroundings.
However, Marathe revealed that this was not a new ideology for the BPS since the organisation has received numerous support from the business community in the past, including the donation of satellite police stations, child friendly centres, motor vehicles and other support resources. “Let me apprise Batswana of the excitement and alignment of the business community towards this great initiative. To this end, almost all police stations have been adopted, and as BPS we remain grateful for this positive response that will go a long way in benefiting Batswana,” Marathe said. Meanwhile, the Commissioner reassured Batswana of their preparedness as the BPS to guarantee a peaceful and credible poll as the country approaches the national general elections. However, she further stated that it was the responsibility of every citizen to ensure that the process goes smoothly and fairly. Few weeks ago at a gala dinner that was hosted by BPS to launch the ‘Adopt- a-police station’ initiative, Masisi revealed that land has been secured for the construction of the 28 police stations and architectural drawings finalised. “The two contractors have each been assigned to construct 14 police stations.
As we continue to develop the infrastructure of the police and increase facilities, we were also aware that old ones were overdue for maintenance,” Masisi said then. One would say indeed this development is a welcome move because the country is currently plagued with various criminal activities which include robbery, house breaking and theft, home invasion, drug trafficking, livestock theft to mention but a few. It usually take a while for cases to be attended in some places as police officers had to travel long distances from police stations to attend a report in their policing area. Batswana had mixed feelings in the past about the matter with some blaming and accusing the government of not taking their lives serious due to shortage of police stations as some constituencies do not have a single police stations despite having vast areas with high crime rate.