Stefanus Nashama
The Namibian Police in Oshana region say they they will strengthen the already existing relationship with the community, in combating crime.
Oshana Regional Police Commander, Commissioner Naftal Sakaria announced the undertaking while speaking during a community engagement with the community of the Okadoolopa district near Ondangwa.
Sakaria said it is important for the police to have good relations with members of the community, and to be visible in the community at all times to fight crimes and maintain order.
“We will not hear anything if we do not go and communicate with community members. Officers should not sit in the office. They should go to the community and find out what is happening,” he stressed.
He said the police in the region started last year by visiting churches to engage and communicate with the members of the community about crime.
“Community members should not fear the police but work with us to help fight crimes in the region,” he stated.
Sakaria also said they discussed with the leadership of the Namibian Police last year about how best they can prevent and fight against crimes.
“We noticed that if the police have good communication with the community the number of crimes will be reduced. We also noticed that if the traffic office is on the roads 24/7, the number of accidents will reduce because the police are mandated to ensure that no driver can drive while drunk,” he said.
However, Sakaria said the police are facing challenges like a lack of well-serviced cars and a lack of sufficient police officers to fight against crimes in the region.
“We need well-serviced cars to reach the community. We also need more police officers to attend to the crime reports/calls. That is the challenge we are facing now, but it is being reviewed,” he indicated.
He said fights among youth, stock theft, robbery, and rape are some of the criminal activities happening in the region, and they will be dealt with accordingly, adding that the community should play a vital role to report such crimes on time and communicate with the police.
The community should not fear the police, both should work together instead. We want our region to be cleaned on those issues, he encouraged.
He also spoke about the police’s attitude, saying if members of the community need help and the police cannot help as they are supposed to, they should report such incidents to the station commander.
“Such incidents should be reported to the station commanders so that the issue can be dealt with,” he reiterated.
