{Thirty eight members of Rwandan Youth Volunteers in Community Policing Organisation (RYVCPO) from the University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB) in Gicumbi District have recommitted to strengthen awareness campaign against crime.}
They also agreed to bring on board more youth to join the youth organisation to strengthen its community policing performance.
They made the commitment during a meeting with the District Community Liaison Officer Inspector of Police (IP) Alphonse Kayonga, last week.
IP Kayonga enlightened them about their role in crime prevention and how they can bring about change in their society.
“All crimes can be prevented or reduced if we actively work together to identify and apprehend those involved. Some of these wrongdoers are known in communities, that’s why we believe your contribution in crime prevention is crucial,” said IP Kayonga.
He also urged them to reach out to their fellow youth that could be involved in drug related crimes, counsel them or report them to be rehabilitated.
“You can only achieve your goal of ensuring public safety through community policing; you have to always remind the public that ensuring security begins with an individual,” said IP Kayonga
He spoke at length about human trafficking and urged them to make it part of their priorities in the crime prevention programmes.
“Normally, traffickers pose as well-wishers who have a lot to offer; at times they take advantage of one’s vulnerability and play around one’s desires to make them believe that they have a lot to offer them,” IP Kayonga said.
He farther pointed out that; “Students are sometimes promised scholarships while graduates are sometimes made to believe that they would get good jobs abroad.”
The end result, he said, victims end up being exploited and subjected to varied forms of abuse.
“Besides the fact that traffickers can lure their victims basing on their vulnerabilities, they can sometimes use violence, threats, blackmail, false promises, deception and manipulation to trap the victim into several ugly exploitations,” he explained.
The coordinator of RYVCPO at the University, Emmanuel Nganeyezu reminded his colleagues that, “the role of this organization is to have an impact in the general security status in our country, but also looking at the welfare of the people, so we have to walk the rhythm, be more innovative in our awareness campaigns to ensure that people understand a language of prevention rather than fighting a crime.”
Leave a Reply