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(LUSAKATIMES) Former Lusaka police chief welcomes reforms

Former Lusaka police chief welcomes reforms
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, October 17, 2011, 9:52 am

FORMER Lusaka Division police commanding officer, Chendela Musonda has welcomed President Michael Sata’s announcement to implement police reforms in the country.

In an interview with the Times yesterday, Mr Musonda said the reforms would help the police to expand and at the same time improve its operations, which in turn would benefit the general public.

He said he was hopeful that President Sata would deliver on his promise to reform the Zambia Police Service, adding that reforms had been long overdue.

Mr Musonda said the delay in implementing the reforms had contributed to failure by the police service to be transformed.
lack of transport at police stations was another issue that hampered the efforts of the police to effectively fight crime in the communities.It was frustrating for police officers to fail to rush to a crime scene or even be able to respond to emergency calls from the public because the service had no vehicles for its officers to use.

President Sata said, when he announced the police reforms, that big police divisions would be headed by police commissioners, which would add to efficiency of the police instead of deputy police commissioners as was currently the case.

Mr Musonda, who is currently working as a senior legal consultant for the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) in Lusaka, also called for motivation of police officers to be made a top priority in order to avoid making them vulnerable to corruption and enhance the fight against rising crime.

“There is need to motivate the police officers such as giving them better perks, accommodation and other tools to prevent them from falling prey to the vice of corruption,” he said.

He said crime, which was relatively high especially in Lusaka Province, needed the combined efforts of the police and the general public to be able to wipe it out.

Mr Musonda said lack of transport at police stations was another issue that hampered the efforts of the police to effectively fight crime in the communities.

He said it was frustrating for police officers to fail to rush to a crime scene or even be able to respond to emergency calls from the public because the service had no vehicles for its officers to use.

Mr Musonda further called for intensive training programmes from the police top brass to the reserve police in order for them to update themselves on new policing methods and the law.

He said experience alone was not enough but constant upgrading would help the service improve its services.

Mr Musonda said that the nation would not develop if there was no investment in good security.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, POLICE, POLICE BRUTALITY

posted by MrK @ 3:31 PM