Reinstate BDF in police patrols

Mmegi Editor | Friday May 10, 2019 15:52

For quite some time, the media has been inundated with reports of either brutal killings carried on weekends on innocent souls, but the police have in most cases, struggled to catch the perpetrators.

Our streets are not safe and something needs to be done to deal with this. Often times, these criminals are repeat offenders.

But dealing with crime needs a holistic approach.

We know the Botswana Police Services have tried to deal with the issue, but they are most times overwhelmed.

At some point, crime levels especially petty crime, seemed to have gone down as the police had teamed up the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) on patrols at nights.

For instance, there is need to improve police visibility especially in high density areas such as Mogoditshane and Gaborone West, which are known to be havens for criminals. Rape and murder cases occur everyday in these places.    

There is need to reinstate BDF patrols to deal with this issue.

Officers should be unleashed on the streets, particularly at identified hotspots, while dedicated detectives track and arrest suspects wanted for both organised and repeat violent crimes.

We all know that many murders are also committed during predictable times, specifically over weekends so targeting these periods could significantly reduce crime.

Again, the judicial system should try to balance justice with the interests of the society if we are to win this war against rate of crime.

It is not the first time that this has been said but it has to be reiterated.

The community should also take part because most of these criminals are our brothers, fathers or even sisters and mothers, but we sometimes turn a blind eye and defend their evil deeds.

It is wrong. That attitude on its own is suicidal because as societies we are breeding murderers and thieves.

Our society is not at peace. We still have high levels of crime.

By deploying resources and focusing efforts ton addressing them using data-guided methods, the country could significantly reduce overall crime levels and attain a safer Botswana.

 

Today's thought

 “The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of communitywelfare and existence.”

– Robert Peel