Police face acute manpower shortage ahead of opening of 28 new police stations
Pini Bothoko | Monday June 29, 2026 06:00
Appearing before the 62nd Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe revealed that although the completion of the new stations marks a significant milestone in improving policing services across the country, the service lacks sufficient personnel to staff the facilities.
Marathe said the opening of the stations would place additional pressure on an already stretched workforce, forcing the service to redeploy officers from existing stations despite current staffing shortages.
'This manpower challenge will be exacerbated by the completion of the 28 police stations in July 2026, whose operationalisation requires additional manpower,' she said.
She explained that over the years, the police service has established several new branches and specialised units using existing human resources, a move that has reduced staffing levels in other critical operational areas.
'As a result, we continue to experience shortages of supervisors, investigators, patrol officers and other essential personnel,' she said.
Marathe noted that although the absorption of Special Constables into the regular police service was a welcome development that provided greater certainty regarding their terms and conditions of service, it should not be viewed as an increase in operational strength because the officers were already part of the police workforce.
She further revealed that only two Special Constables were not absorbed into the service due to criminal offences.
According to Marathe, the police service continues to lose officers through retirement, resignation and death, a situation that gradually weakens its workforce capacity at a time when policing demands are increasing.
She said the country's evolving security environment, characterised by population growth, urbanisation, technological advancement, emerging crime trends and rising public expectations, continues to place significant pressure on police resources.
'The effectiveness and success of any police service are fundamentally dependent on the quality, competence, professionalism and dedication of its personnel,' she said.
Marathe told the committee that despite operating in an increasingly complex security environment, the Botswana Police Service continues to perform relatively well. She cited the latest World Internal Security and Police Index, which ranks Botswana as the second-best police service in Africa after Mauritius.
However, she acknowledged that resource constraints continue to affect service delivery, particularly in traffic policing and high-demand operational areas, resulting in slower response times and gaps in technological readiness.
To address emerging security challenges, Marathe said the police service is working towards establishing integrated data hubs that will facilitate easier access to information and improve the speed and accuracy of crime response and investigations.
On crime trends, Marathe reported that recorded offences increased by 6%, from 126,529 cases in 2024 to 155,344 cases in 2025. She attributed the increase largely to improved crime detection and enhanced law enforcement efforts.
Despite the increase in overall crime, she said significant reductions were recorded in robbery, burglary, housebreaking and stock theft, which she attributed to intelligence-led policing strategies, crime prevention initiatives and community partnerships.
Marathe also reported improvements in road safety, noting that although road traffic accidents increased marginally by less than one percent, traffic fatalities declined by 5.2 percent from 346 deaths in 2024 to 328 in 2025. Gender-Based Violence (GBV), however, remains one of the country's most pressing security concerns. While reported GBV cases declined by 3.3 percent, Marathe said the social impact remains severe.
She revealed that approximately 30% of all crime reported in Botswana is GBV-related.
'It is important for all of us to come to the table as a nation and not leave this to the police. We need to examine what has happened to our morals as Batswana and what interventions are required as a country,' she said.
Marathe further highlighted the growing prevalence of cyber-related and drug-induced GBV cases, adding that the police service reached more than 200,000 people through public awareness campaigns and community outreach programmes during 2025.
The Commissioner also expressed concern over missing persons cases, although she noted that reports had declined from 354 in 2025 to 327 in 2026. She said while most missing persons are eventually found alive, some minors remain unaccounted for, including children aged two, 11 and 16 years.
Meanwhile, members of PAC commended the Botswana Police Service for the progress made in constructing the 28 police stations, saying the facilities would improve policing services and contribute to crime reduction in underserved areas.
Committee members also welcomed the absorption of Special Constables into the regular police service and encouraged the organisation to recruit more young people in order to address both manpower shortages and youth unemployment.
Responding to the committee, Marathe reiterated that the service remains constrained by limited human resources and will have no option but to transfer officers from existing stations to staff the new facilities once they become operational next month.