The Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana has advised regional police officers to fight cross-border crimes and those related to computer technology.
Gasana was speaking at the launch of a two -day East African Police Chief Cooperation Organizations (EAPCCO) subcommittee meeting, which he also chairs.
He noted that police force ought to equip themselves with skills on latest technology since the majority of crimes emerge from use of ICT.
Francis Rwego, the head of Interpol in the region, agreed with Gasana that the use of ICT would facilitate information sharing among the police forces in the region in fighting crimes.
“Nowadays people with ill intentions are using technology to conduct cyber crimes, duplication money, human trafficking and terrorism that’s why we need to cooperate to curb these offences.
The EAPCCO subcommittees include Permanent Coordination Committees made up of the heads of Criminal Investigation Departments and heads of National Central Bureaus (NCBs), legal, training, and Gender subcommittees.
These committees are set to discuss the progress in the implementation of the 13th EAPCCO Annual General Meeting resolutions, challenges and way forward. The outcome of the two day meeting will be forwarded to the Committee of Police Chiefs.
EAPCCO was formed in 1998, as follow up to regionalization policy, adopted by the INTERPOL executive committee in 1985. It was confirmed by the Interpol General Assembly in 1995 as an effective way of improving international Police cooperation in combating transnational crime and criminals.
EAPCCO objectives are stipulated in article 3 of its constitution as primarily combating cross border crime though cooperation and collaboration, adoption of joint strategies, monitoring, information exchange and training.
It is also responsible for crime situation reviews and meetings, legal and mutual assistance and legal harmonization and other activities that would enhance combating cross border crime.
Currently EAPCCO is composed of twelve member countries and they include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eretria, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan Tanzania and Uganda.
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