Revamped CPS to house first ever city policing

Optimistic Police Commissione Solomon Mantswe. PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Optimistic Police Commissione Solomon Mantswe. PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Ministry Defence and Security and the Botswana Police Service (BPS) will soon launch the ‘City Policing’ strategy which is aimed at curbing the crime surge in Botswana.

The Gaborone Central Police Station (CPS), which is currently under renovation, is set to house the first ever City Policing Department, the ministry and the BPS has revealed. Lately crime has become somewhat a great concern in Botswana with thieves and criminals pouncing on vulnerable civilians. The recent crime rampage has backed the Ministry of Defence and Security and the BPS into a corner to come up with strategies to ease the situation. Speaking to Mmegi in an interview during a CPS site visit recently, the Minister for Defence and Security Thomas Mmusi said: “The recent crime activities have really become notable to us as the ministry and it has called on us to take action. First we deployed the Special Support Groups (SSG) around Gaborone but now we plan to launch a new department in the police sector called the City Policing in a few months to come”. With the department of City Policing in the pipeline, plans of the ministry and the BPS, Mmusi also revealed that the CPS, which is currently being renovated, will be one of the chosen police stations to implement it. “I believe the revamped CPS will be chosen as the headquarters for this new department,” the minister said. Elaborating more on what the department of City Policing seeks to achieve, Mmusi disclosed that the department will be looking to curb crime in Gaborone. “The Department of City Policing will be managing and ensuring that this city is safe and secure and do away with the crime that seems to be on the rampage,” he stated.

For his part, the acting Police Commissioner, Solomon Mantswe revealed that the Department of City Policing will solely focus on rapid response. “Most of the time when people report crimes, the police go out and attend the cases. It is the same police who come back to the station to do investigations which is a lot of work,” he said. Mantswe therefore emphasised that the City Policing will take care of responses. Furthermore, Mantswe elaborated that City Policing will make it its mandate to arrive at crime scenes in a short space of time. “The City Policing will also be of great help to places that do not currently have surveillance cameras which are really prone to criminals and this is where this department will come in. Equipped officers will be deployed there to resolve whatever they might face and prevent crime in such areas,” Mantswe pointed out. Mantswe also indicated that the BPS plans to install more cameras around the city. “We will continue increasing cameras because this thing of safer city is our mandate and we will be installing around 1,800 additional cameras here in Gaborone,” he stated. Mantswe also revealed that the BPS would also bring in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to curb crime. “We will soon use UAV to patrol around the city and this technology will also help us improve the protection of cars that ferry money from afar without having to follow them like we are doing now,” Mantswe said.

Mantswe implored Batswana to try by all means to put trust in the police that they will make it hard for the criminals to operate in Botswana.


Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up