18 Sep 2023

Members of the public have been implored to continue maintaining peace and stability by being actively involved in crime prevention initiatives geared towards the provision of safety and security.

Briefing the North West District councillors about the crime situation in the district, the North West Divisional Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner, Committee Tlalanyane said community participation was essential to curbing crime.

He said police officers were doing their best to arrest the situation but they could not win the battle without the participaton of  community.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Tlalanyane said crime could significantly negatively affect economic growth and investor confidence. 

“Our mission is to provide a professional policing service with the community and your participation as leaders and the public at large is paramount. We should be seen joining hands in combating crime in the district which is a tourism hub,” he added.

However, Senior Assistant Commissioner Tlalanyane said that while Botswana Police Services (BPS) was making strides to eradicate crime, incidents of burglary and theft, house breaking  as well as stock theft remained a concern.

He said in North West district, from January this year to August, police had registered 112 cases of house breaking and theft, 122 for stock theft and 76 for burglary and theft as compared to last year same period, where 81 cases of house breaking and theft were recorded while 156 were for stock theft and 45 for burglary and theft.

Criminals, he said mostly targeted areas such as high income areas, crowd pulling events, business and residential areas.

Furthermore, he indicated that incidents of stock theft had increased even beyoond across the borders, saying the act continued to rob Batswana. 

Senior Assistant Commissioner Tlalanyane said that stock theft crime was predominantly fueled by availability of lucrative market for stock slaughtered for sale.

However, he shared some police crime management strategies such as dedicated teams to combat violence and intrusive crime, which he said had reduced cash in transit heists and ATM blastings.

Operation KgomoKhumo, he said had also made a difference in addressing cases of stock theft and appealed to the society to join hands with the law enforcement officers to make the district a safe and secure area.

Commenting, councillors appreciated the police efforts in combating crime but raised a concern that some police officers were fueling criminal activities as they were part of the crime syndicates.

Cllr Vapeune Moreti of Gxhabara ward said that some police officers discouraged the public from whistleblowing because they disclose their identity. 

Some, he said had connived with suspects to run businesses such as butcheries hence they fail to act on stock theft reports.

Cllr Moreti also called for the establishment of a fully-fledged stock theft unit in Maun.

Cllr Limit Banyatsang of Boseja North ward urged police to fast-track cases of defilement, saying the delay defeated the ends of justice. 

Some cases, he said delayed until the victims grow from the adolescent stage.

While he appreciated that the police had established child-friendly centres and gender and child protection branch specifically to address gender based violence related crime, he said defilement cases should be given priority. 

ends