Stop buying stolen items – Shikongo

Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo has urged members of the public not to buy stolen goods as it encourages theft.

He has also urged police officers to always render quality and effective services to the community.

Shikongo on Wednesday during a community address at Oshakati said the police aim to expand their manpower to 28 000 officers as there are currently not enough.

He called on the nation to maintain peace and order at all times.

“We need to focus on building our economy, but how do we focus if there is no peace? And how do we maintain security if there is no peace?

“Peace is so important, and we do not want to be taught what peace is, because we as Namibians have peace. The independence of this country did not come on a silver platter – there was bloodshed – that is why we cannot afford to disrupt the peace we have today,” he said.

Oshana police regional commander commissioner Lungameni Sackaria said the police in the region have managed to reduce the crime rate by enforcing tight security measures and devising cooperative solutions to crime.

He said the Oshana police did not record a high crime rate over the festive season as officers were on the ground monitoring and serving communities.

“We can proudly say the crime in the region has declined . . . In the past we have had people who could not withdraw or deposit large sums of money at banks because they feared for their lives, but today we can confidently say this is in the past.

“Private properties are no longer being broken into as in the past. Crime has really gone down in Oshana thanks to our police on the ground 24/7,” Sackaria said.

He said the police in the region are experiencing challenges, such as a lack of manpower, a lack of police vehicles and police facilities in the region and a high rate of urbanisation.

Sackaria requested the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to consider constructing a number of mini police stations at villages to take police services closer to people.