Helicopters would definitely give them the capacity to discharge their mandate effectively," said Baboloki Tlale, Executive Secretary, of Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisation. He said the public has always expressed concern that the Botswana Defence Force was being given more support by the government, while the Police Service seemed to be overlooked. "This will definitely help address those concerns. It would give police more resources and modernise them. It would give them more visibility thus helping prevent crime," he said.
Puseletso Mokgware, a hawker at the Gaborone Bus Station says police officers' ability to react on time would be enhanced by the purchase. "We have changed from times when officers could take hours to arrive to a scene of the crime. We now expect them to arrive in a matter of minutes because criminals are much more brutal. You could get murdered for your sweets and bananas. We need officers who are much more effective" she said. However she said she hopes that reports of emergencies would be treated with equal attention. "I hope they do not only reserve the helicopters for so-called serious crimes which normally means attending to rich people and their assets. We want them to use those helicopters to help some of us poor people," she added.
Speaking on behalf of the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower, spokesman Tebogo Rapitsenyane said the body appreciates the establishment of the Air Wing since it would help assist in radically shortening the reaction time for police officers. "We have always been concerned about the lack of mobility which hampered the police service's ability to react to criminal events as they unfold. A helicopter would greatly increase the ability of officers to attend to emergencies" he said.
However he explained that, apart from emergencies, the helicopters would allow officers much more visibility and thereby reduce the incidence of crime. "A reduction in the incidence of crime would definitely help give the business community more confidence in the safety of their investments" he said.
Stakeholders in the security industry have reacted positively to the news. Jane Nkgetse, Assistant Human Resource Officer for Security Systems said in addition to helping to keep crime levels down by increasing police visibility, the Air Wing would also help give police officers access to otherwise hard-to-reach areas during pursuits. "This would help especially in pursuits where criminals try to use the rugged landscape in urban areas at night. Helicopters would allow officers to fly over places and coordinate with those on the ground, to locate hidden criminals," she said.
On Monday the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board announced that it has approved a tender for the purchase of three Eurocopter AS 350 B3s from the international helicopter manufacturer, Eurocopter by Botswana Police.
