Security Top Brass At Grand Palm Police Donation

By Frederick Kebadiretse
Staff Writer | Monday February 22, 2010 00:00

Presenting the cabins in a ceremony held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC), Peermont Botswana Regional Chief Operating Officer, Bruce Pagewood, said as a business entity, they are committed to creating safe and secure communities.

'We have lent our support to the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security project to address crime by sponsoring two branded portacabins, enabling the police to react promptly and effectively to emergencies in the area,' Pagewood said at the ceremony attended by the country's security top brass.

In attendance were the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Dikgakgamatso Seretse, the Attorney General Athaliah Molokomme, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Phandu Skelemani and the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force Lieutenant General Tebogo Masire as well as other top government officials.

Pagewood thanked the community leaders in the area for working hard to secure land and other resources for the initiative, as well as the police for being supportive in ensuring that the initiative is a success.

The two cabins have ablution facilities and two offices. The Botswana Police provided communication equipment and other office facilities. They will work with community volunteers.

The Commissioner of Police, Thebeyame Tsimako, acknowledged the 'significant' contribution of the community and other stakeholders in the fight against crime. 'We hope this will enhance our operational efficiency and effectiveness so that we create a safe environment for all communities,' Tsimako said.

The Cluster Chairperson of Block 6, Esther Letlhare, said they feel more secure in their homes since the community policing initiative was launched. 'Crime has (gone down) significantly in our area since the launch of this initiative,' she said. 'Our children can walk around without fear of being attacked and the parents can sleep soundly in their homes.'

Her words were echoed by the Cluster Chairperson of Block 5, Thulaganyo Thutoetsile. Thutoetsile said before the initiative, the two neighbourhoods were among the worst-hit by crime in Gaborone, mostly in the form of house-break-ings. He said this was probably due to the fact that the majority of the residents hold jobs and there is usually very little activity during the day, providing criminals with ample opportunities.

The community volunteers from the two neighbourhoods were introduced at the event. Minister Seretse presented two-way communication radios to the volunteers while Molokomme provided them with a booklet to guide them in their voluntary work. The volunteers will be rewarded for their efforts based on efficiency and effectiveness.