Police introduce horse patrols

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Monday September 24, 2012 00:00

In an interview with The Monitor recently, Central Police Station commander, Superintendent Mojaboswa Mathitha confirmed this and stated that his policing area is highly hit by crime that include burglary and theft, housebreak-ins and theft, and store break-ins. Since January this year up to now, Central Police Station has recorded a total of 81 cases of burglary and theft, 34 house break-ins and 52 cases of store break-ins.

Apart from these crimes, Mathitha said, the station has also registered 16 robbery cases, three murders, 21 rapes and 20 cases of unlawful possession of dagga. 'We are trying our level best to intensify patrols in the areas that are highly hit by the prevalence of crime. We have formed task forces in order to reinforce the manpower on the ground. In addition to that we have introduced horse patrols in our policing area,' said the station commander.

According to Superintendent Mathitha, his police station has acquired 10 horses that are currently used in day and night patrols, stating that with this development they are hoping to lessen the rate of crime in the city. 'As these horses are 10, we normally use four horses in a day. We conduct horse patrols that are backed by vehicles because it is not easy for one to transport people using the horses,' he stated.

Mathitha further explained that the horses are usually used to effect arrests and that after arresting the suspects they put them into the vehicles and drive them to the police station where appropriate action can be taken against them.

He said although the use of horses in patrols is new in Francistown, it has proved to be very effective in other areas of this country, such as Tshesebe, where he used to be stationed. 'Horse patrols are highly effective. In the area that I was stationed, which is Tshesebe policing area, it was once highly hit by the prevalence of crime.

'We introduced horses for patrols and immediately crime reduced. Even now you can sleep with your window open in Tshesebe,' he said. Mathitha said since the horse patrol programme is still being piloted in Francistown, and is only two weeks old, they are yet to see how it will help in combating crime in the city. He, however, expressed confidence, indicating that horses make it is easier for the police to cover a vast area and that it is easier for them to track down criminals. In addition, horses can enter places that cannot be entered by vehicles and they run faster than human beings.

Meanwhile, the station commander revealed that they conducted raids in Donga Extension for two days and managed to arrest 33 illegal immigrants. He said places like Monarch Phase 5 and 6 are highly hit by the influx of illegal immigrants because there are so many houses that are under construction there. 'Mostly the people who are constructing the houses are illegal immigrants. It's either you find illegal immigrants or Zimbabweans who came into Botswana legally but don't have work permits,' said Mathitha.

He said most of these illegal immigrants are the ones that conduct surveillance on the houses they work in and give information to their fellow countrymen. 'They target these houses whose owners do not stay there or those that they have observed that the owners have gone to work, then they will relay the information to the perpetrators who will break into the house and steal,' he explained.