Police take stock of performance

SENIOR officers of the Namibian Police are to spend the better part of this week reviewing their effectiveness throughout the past year, and hopefully will come up with new strategies to improve their efforts in the new year.

The officers are engaged in a three-day conference, where they are expected to come up with strategies for dealing with crime in the new year. Deputy Safety and Security Minister Gabes Shihepo yesterday mentioned a number of criticisms that he said were damaging the force’s image.These, Shihepo said, include instances where cars are simply allowed to pass through roadblocks unchecked, and also the number of damaged Police vehicles that can be seen countrywide because of irresponsible driving by the officers using them.”The perception of the public is that some of these drivers are not trained,” Shihepo scolded officers yesterday.He said many Police officers lacked people skills and some were unable to take down written statements – a source of frustration for the victims of crime.Shihepo also questioned the time it took to conclude many criminal investigations, which created the impression that officers were involved in corruption.”We should not underestimate these criticisms.Some of them might be genuine,” Shihepo told participants.”It is of the utmost importance that our members are properly trained and equipped with the necessary knowledge and universally accepted qualities which makes for a good police officer, notwithstanding the limited financial resources,” he said.He assured the officers that Cabinet and Parliament were aware of their need for more resources, saying that he was confident this would receive attention in the near future.Shihepo also congratulated the force on their successes throughout the year, most recently the prompt arrest of five trial-awaiting prisoners who escaped from the Windhoek Central Prison last week.The other five – three murder suspects and two bank robbery suspects – were arrested in the Caprivi Region the same week.A sixth escapee, an alleged bank robber, drowned while trying to cross a river.Deputy Safety and Security Minister Gabes Shihepo yesterday mentioned a number of criticisms that he said were damaging the force’s image.These, Shihepo said, include instances where cars are simply allowed to pass through roadblocks unchecked, and also the number of damaged Police vehicles that can be seen countrywide because of irresponsible driving by the officers using them.”The perception of the public is that some of these drivers are not trained,” Shihepo scolded officers yesterday.He said many Police officers lacked people skills and some were unable to take down written statements – a source of frustration for the victims of crime.Shihepo also questioned the time it took to conclude many criminal investigations, which created the impression that officers were involved in corruption.”We should not underestimate these criticisms.Some of them might be genuine,” Shihepo told participants.”It is of the utmost importance that our members are properly trained and equipped with the necessary knowledge and universally accepted qualities which makes for a good police officer, notwithstanding the limited financial resources,” he said.He assured the officers that Cabinet and Parliament were aware of their need for more resources, saying that he was confident this would receive attention in the near future.Shihepo also congratulated the force on their successes throughout the year, most recently the prompt arrest of five trial-awaiting prisoners who escaped from the Windhoek Central Prison last week.The other five – three murder suspects and two bank robbery suspects – were arrested in the Caprivi Region the same week.A sixth escapee, an alleged bank robber, drowned while trying to cross a river.