Police in Rutsiro District have urged members of Community Policing Committees (CPCs) in Mushonyi sector to promote the concept of neighborhood watch as means to crime prevention.
The call was made by the District Community Liaison Officer Inspector of Police (IP) Jerome Nsabuwera on April 6 during a meeting that brought together 132 members of Community Policing Committees of Mushonyi.
In his address to CPCs, IP Nsabuwera pointed out that it has been proven that neighbourhood watch contributes significantly to crime prevention.
“This programme is designed to bridge the gap between the community and the law enforcement. People take part in night patrols in their neighbourhoods to ensure safety of their respective communities,” IP Nsabuwera said.
“During these patrols, whenever a problem is detected, residents hurriedly inform the police and we intervene jointly immediately,” he added.
“Through neighbourhood watch, residents recognize their ability to detect and report anything illegal for quick response and ultimately creating a strong bond at all levels against anything unlawful.”
“When the nation is safe, a lot of energy is allocated to development, that’s why we must collectively ensure public safety,” said IP Nsabuwera.
He also seize the opportunity to enlighten them about the crime of genocide ideology saying that during this commemoration period, “efforts should be put in fighting genocide ideology.”
“During this period, people are reminded to stand together and fight against any form of action aimed at negating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” he said.
He went on to detail how genocide ideology is punishable by laws saying that article 2 of the law N°18/2008 of July 23, 2008, relating to the punishment of the crime of genocide ideology, defines genocide ideology as; an aggregate of thoughts characterized by conduct, speeches, documents and other acts aiming at exterminating or inciting others to exterminate people basing on ethnic group, origin, nationality, region, color, physical appearance, sex, language, religion or political opinion, committed in normal periods or during war.
The crime of genocide ideology, in article 3 of the same law, is characterized in any behaviour manifested by facts aimed at deshumanizing a person or a group of persons with the same characteristics like threatening, intimidating, degrading through defamatory speeches, documents or actions which aim at propounding wickedness or inciting hatred.
It can also be committed through marginalising, laughing at one’s misfortune, defaming, mocking, boasting, despising, degrading creating confusion aiming at negating the genocide which occurred, stiring up ill feelings, taking revenge, altering testimony or evidence for the genocide which occurred, killing, planning to kill or attempting to kill someone for purposes of furthering genocide ideology.
Ensuring that this crime against humanity never occurs again in Rwanda, these laws were put in place to fight anything that can lead to the same.
Under article 135 of the penal code, “any person who commits the crime of genocide ideology and other related offences shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to nine years and a fine of one hundred thousand (100,000) to one million (1,000, 000) Rwandan francs.
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