IT is encouraging to hear Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja make a commitment towards a standardized practice by the Zambia Police Service.
As we head to the 2021 General Elections, it is important that the members of the public can confidently look upon the police as a service and not a command.
In his speech at Zambia Police College yesterday, the Police chief explained that the Service had embarked on in-service training aimed at equipping police offers with necessary and appropriate skills to enable them perform their duties so as to meet expectations of the community.
Indeed, the public should not fear police nor should they see them as a burden on the community.
How many times do we complain of police at check points simply trying to corner erring motorists for a fast Kwacha or how we bemoan the inability of Police to follow up crimes?
Very often the stories around the Police that make it to the light of day are in a negative connotation.
Policing is described as maintaining law and order.
With the spate of gassing that was seen early this year, the importance of the police and management of riots came to the fore.
We have also seen the police service beef up their arsenal but this should not raise unwarranted alarm as the Inspector General has said the service is committed to training as many officers as possible in standard procedures.
“I wish from the onset to announce that this program is not only commencing here at Lilayi but also in the other two police training schools and a total of 150 officers will undergo training during the initial refresher course in crowd management.
“I have directed that all trainees should be imparted and exposed to similar skills in order to obtain standardized skills in handling and dealing with riotous behavior,” Mr Kanganja said.
Mr Kanganja said the training programme would be ongoing and that his command shall ensure that almost every police officer was exposed to the training as this was for purposes of adequately preparing for policing of the 2021 general elections and beyond.
He added that government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu who is Commander in Chief of the Defence Force has acquired modern equipment in line with the United Nations Standards on Crowd Management.
“The assorted equipment and tools will help heighten operational efficiency in the police service as officers will now be able to swiftly respond to any form of crime. Further, the equipment will enable officers to proficiently police the 2021 general election,” he said.
The IG further said the intention of the gesture by government was noble and simply meant to meet proper policing methods of modern times aimed at combating any form of lawlessness and disorder in the country thereby protecting the precious lives and property of innocent members of the society.
He wondered why some quarters of society were circulating falsehoods amongst members of the public including use of social media suggesting that arming the police with equipment is meant to intimidate the citizenry.
Indeed the police is a service to the people and should be perceived as such.
We commend the Police command for taking a proactive approach in keeping the public updated on their mandate
