Huye: DPC urges local leaders on community policing

{Huye District Police Commander (DPC), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Francis Muheto has challenged the newly elected local leaders in the district to be catalysts of community policing and work with residents and security organs in identifying and responding to security challenges.}

CSP Muheto made the remarks on March 7 during a meeting that brought together about 130 newly elected leaders of Villages in Simbi Sector.

CSP Muheto reminded the grassroots leaders that since the time they took office, they automatically became members of the CPCs.

The village leader, the person in charge of security and three other people elected by the village advisory committee constitute a Community Policing Committee at the Village level with the Village leader as the chairman of the five-man committee.

“As part of the prevention mechanisms, you should spearhead the awareness against crimes in you communities and work closely with law enforcers to detect, fight and prevent crimes, and ensure that even those who commit a crime are apprehended to face justice,” CSP Muheto told the leaders.

He reminded them that they have a duty to protect their neighborhood from crime by involving residents in all crime prevention mechanisms.

“As leaders, you should encourage community-based crime prevention programs, such as Community Policing, neighbourhood watch, target hardening, property marking, tighten night patrols as well as encouraging residents to actively work with all security organs to address issues that could contribute to crime,” he said.

“Leaders must always be exemplary and professional, as well as play their roles in problem identification and work with residents and security organs to address them at their earliest.”

“Instead of concentrating efforts in dealing with consequences, we should rather work towards averting crimes that can cause insecurity and affect businesses and the well-being of the people,” he noted.

Emphasis during the meeting was also put on sharing information timely on drug dealers and gender based violence among other high impact crimes.