Nevertheless, criminals continue to walk free from the courts because those mandated with their investigation and prosecution fail to present and sustain evidence that is sufficiently solid to obtain convictions. But when he came into office approximately 12 months ago, the Commissioner of Police Keabetswe Makgophe promised to introduce new policing methods, among other innovations. A nation that had lain naked to invasion and violation by criminals who had learnt to operate with impunity held out that he hopes its troubled times should soon be over. However, 12 months later, it is manifestly clear that violent crime is the order of the day, and we are yet to learn again about Makgophe's new order. But we shall not pass a vote of no confidence in the new chief of police, he being far too new for such a drastic step inspite of the more drastic and desperate circumstances that we find ourselves in. In the meantime, while we await the Commissioner to share with us his new vision - or whatever has gone wrong with it - a few things could be done. One of these is acquisition by BPS of CCTV cameras to improve surveillance on the street. Mounted on high-rise buildings and at strategic places in densely-populated areas; at shopping malls and on traffic lights, these devices have proven to be effective tools of crime prevention and detection in parts of the world that have become wilder than the Wild West.
We in the media may be little experienced in policing, but we are convinced that CCTV cameras could be more effective and cheaper than hovering over the capital city for hours inside a chopper. What's more, the devices are increasingly relied upon to buttress evidence in courts around the world! Operating and maintaining the high-tech tools should not present much of a problem because Botswana has a surfeit of unemployed IT experts. We find it unbelievable that a country known for peace and a nation famous for law and order should - within a few damnable years of the 21st Century - be allowed to slip into the category of investment-risk territories of the world. This at a time when we are effecting relocation of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) from London to Gaborone that should be concluded within the next two months!
