Jinja: According to SSP Charles Nsaba, the Kiira Regional Police Commander (RPC), the region has recorded a decrease in crime rates.
Mid-year crime analysis and statistics indicate that in 2024, 13,391 cases were reported, compared to 2023, where 17,912 cases were registered. This marks a reduction of 4,521 cases.
Mr. Nsaba stated that organized crimes such as murders, aggravated robberies, theft of motor vehicle number plates, and violent crimes have been suppressed as a result of collaboration with sister forces, local leaders, and other stakeholders.
The region embarked on vigorous community policing campaigns, which have been vital in reducing criminality.
“I want to thank officers for their dedicated services towards fighting organized and general crimes. There is really a significant change,” he said on Friday in Jinja while addressing security chiefs in the region, including District Police Commanders (DPCs), regional heads of departments (R/HODs), all Officers in Charge (OCs) commanding substations and posts, and OCs of specialized units like the Field Force Unit (FFU) and others.
He discouraged the security bosses from initiating ‘curfews’ in their areas of responsibility (AORs), urging them instead to maintain visible patrols and ensure teamwork.
The RPC emphasized the importance of conducting daily intelligence-led operations and utilizing weekends for community policing activities. He stated, “Meetings help in sharing the new concept of policing that emphasizes policing beyond your borders.”
The officer also instructed DPCs to implement the sub-county policing model, a government initiative introduced in 2020 by President Yoweri Museveni. The model stipulates that each sub-county should have a police station with 18 police officers and four motorcycles, two of which are reserved for emergencies.
According to the President, the policing model is a solution to the new wave of crime in rural areas, where thieves have been terrorizing communities.
In Jinja, RPC Nsaba mentioned that Mafubira police station under CPS Jinja Central, Butagaya police station under CPS Buwenge, Buyengo police station, and Busede police station under CPS Kakira should all implement the model.
“Ensure all the components of the sub-county policing model are put in place and well supervised,” he instructed the commanders.
The regional CID officer, SSP Monday Johnson Agaba, advocated for the introduction of police sniffer dogs and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs) to attend to all scenes of serious crimes without fail, and urged his colleagues to refrain from torturing suspects.
“Why should you keep a suspect in custody overnight?” he questioned, before addressing the issue of mismanagement of case files, particularly in defilement cases, where some errant officers register defilement cases as disappearances.
He warned that officers would face disciplinary charges or criminal proceedings if ingredients and evidence pertaining to alleged criminal cases are mishandled, under the guidance of state prosecutors. Agaba further cautioned officers against criminalizing civil matters and making premature arrests.
SSP Nsaba, however, urged CIDs to avoid functioning as “desktop investigators,” noting that this approach fails to bring out insightful knowledge and understanding of cases. He added that it only encourages laziness and breeds elementary CID officers.
