We won�t spy on you, police pledge
Sharon Mathala | Wednesday February 17, 2016 16:15
Makgophe yesterday told a police workshop that the Safer City initiative will involve the installation of surveillance cameras in busy areas in Gaborone and other urban centres.
President Ian Khama confirmed in his State Of the Nation Address that the police will invest in cyber intelligence to curb crime.
A tender for the initiative was issued in 2014 and is understood to be in the final stages of procurement.
“The Safer City programme will not intrude on the privacy of individuals. This is a law enforcement technology that is instrumental in the deterrence and detection of crime worldwide,” Makgophe said, adding that the initiative will have a positive impact on crime detection and disposal rates.
The police chief also revealed that there were notable traces of crime migrating into cyber space, adding that the Botswana Police Service (BPS) is in the process of developing processes to tackle these.
For his part, the Defence, Justice and Security minister, Shaw Kgathi, said the abuse of social media was emerging as a national concern in Botswana.
“Whilst this platform was established for a good cause, some people, especially the youth have subjected it to abuse by opening false accounts under false identities for the purpose of insulting others,” he said.
The minister described this behaviour as “both insane and unacceptable.”