By Dex
3'
The rise in cases of armed robberies, murders and stocktheft calls for new ways of policing criminal activities.
The police have expressed “great concern at the proliferation of firearms”, most of which are acquired illegally and are being used in committing heinous crimes.
While the way police worked at fighting crimes may have been good enough in the past, the rate at which these cases are occurring and are being reported calls for new strategies on the part of the law-enforcement agencies in fighting crime, and a high level of vigilance on the part of members of the public.
The proliferation of gated communities, cluster houses, the rise in neighbourhood watch and crime consultative committees as well as specialist security companies, stand out as responses and coping mechanisms to security concerns faced by members of the public.
The criminal world poses a significant threat to peace and security and these threats require new policing methods.
The security threats are also particularly evident in artisanal mining operations, and stocktheft, while in urban areas the pattern of targeted armed robberies has become disconcerting.
The rise in criminal activities started targeting schools, during the beginning of school terms, when schools receive fees and sometimes are not able to bank these before close of business at the end of the day. The occurrence of these cases did not, however, stop there, because next in line were cash-in-transit security services and now business owners or anyone conducting any business that gives them revenue are increasingly becoming easy targets.
There is a sense of being under siege something that requires a decisive and robust police response.
According to one of the latest security briefs, violent crimes accounted for 30 percent of the crimes in recent months, with the cases being reported in public, residential and industrial areas, where assaults or shots were fired during robberies.
For example, of the crime cases reported, 27 percent were recorded at residential sites with both robberies and violence increasing at residential places as robbers targeted money.
As a guide to members of the public on the need to remain vigilant, violent crimes appear to take place between midnight and 3am, while non-violent crimes tend to be between midnight and 5am.
Given the prevailing situation, there is no indication that there will be a decrease in the number crime incidents, emphasising the importance of change in strategies to combat crime and increasing levels of vigilance.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has intensified the resourcing and upskilling of CID Crack teams in the fight against armed robbery, theft of motor vehicles, murder as well as other criminal acts being committed across the country.
Part of the resourcing and skills development was the recent the CID Crack Teams Intermediate Investigations Course for 63 detectives at Shamva Battle Camp, aimed at improving policing capabilities at all levels.
While police have also recently shared national contacts for 24-hour armed responses
- 0714 336 927, 0781881260 and 0781948009
- the situation also calls for deployment of new technologies such as closed circuit televisions (CCTV) and drone patrols that provide real time policing in fighting crime.
The rise in cases of armed robberies, murders and stocktheft calls for new ways of policing criminal activities.
The police have expressed “great concern at the proliferation of firearms”, most of which are acquired illegally and are being used in committing heinous crimes.
While the way police worked at fighting crimes may have been good enough in the past, the rate at which these cases are occurring and are being reported calls for new strategies on the part of the law-enforcement agencies in fighting crime, and a high level of vigilance on the part of members of the public.
The proliferation of gated communities, cluster houses, the rise in neighbourhood watch and crime consultative committees as well as specialist security companies, stand out as responses and coping mechanisms to security concerns faced by members of the public.
The criminal world poses a significant threat to peace and security and these threats require new policing methods.
The security threats are also particularly evident in artisanal mining operations, and stocktheft, while in urban areas the pattern of targeted armed robberies has become disconcerting.
The rise in criminal activities started targeting schools, during the beginning of school terms, when schools receive fees and sometimes are not able to bank these before close of business at the end of the day. The occurrence of these cases did not, however, stop there, because next in line were cash-in-transit security services and now business owners or anyone conducting any business that gives them revenue are increasingly becoming easy targets.
There is a sense of being under siege something that requires a decisive and robust police response.
According to one of the latest security briefs, violent crimes accounted for 30 percent of the crimes in recent months, with the cases being reported in public, residential and industrial areas, where assaults or shots were fired during robberies.
For example, of the crime cases reported, 27 percent were recorded at residential sites with both robberies and violence increasing at residential places as robbers targeted money.
As a guide to members of the public on the need to remain vigilant, violent crimes appear to take place between midnight and 3am, while non-violent crimes tend to be between midnight and 5am.
Given the prevailing situation, there is no indication that there will be a decrease in the number crime incidents, emphasising the importance of change in strategies to combat crime and increasing levels of vigilance.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has intensified the resourcing and upskilling of CID Crack teams in the fight against armed robbery, theft of motor vehicles, murder as well as other criminal acts being committed across the country.
Part of the resourcing and skills development was the recent the CID Crack Teams Intermediate Investigations Course for 63 detectives at Shamva Battle Camp, aimed at improving policing capabilities at all levels.
While police have also recently shared national contacts for 24-hour armed responses
- 0714 336 927, 0781881260 and 0781948009
- the situation also calls for deployment of new technologies such as closed circuit televisions (CCTV) and drone patrols that provide real time policing in fighting crime.
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