Sebastian Ndeitunga, chief inspector general of the police, says that 98 640 criminal cases were reported last year.
These include robbery, violence against women, children, and other forms domestic violence.
He says that the most affected areas are the Khomas with 32,8%, Oshana (10,7%), Otjozondjupa (8,6%), and the Erongo (with 7,9%).
Kavango West, Kunene, and Omaheke were the least affected by criminality, with 1,3% and 1,5% of the cases, respectively.
“So many dynamics influence the level of crime in each region. Nonetheless, I strongly believe the senior command conference 2022 had indeed come at the right time when we needed to revisit our strategies of combating crime,” Ndeitunga says.
This was his statement at the Rundu Police’s Senior Command Conference opening last week.
He said that police holding cells have become clogged due to the many people remanded in custody and detained illegal immigrants throughout the country.
According to the police chief, this is due in part to suspects being held in custody following court appearances and a high number illegal immigrants being held at countrywide police holding cells.
Ndeitunga stated that congestion has made it difficult for police to carry out their mandate to combat crime.
He stated that the conference had resolved to engage stakeholders like the Namibian Correctional Service (Namibian Correctional Service) and the Immigration Control Department (Immigration Control Department) in order to mitigate this.
Ndeitunga stated that the country’s crime rate remains alarming with close to 100 000 cases of criminality last year.
He stated that the conference would be five days long and will focus on issues that prevent the police from fighting crime. It would also adopt resolutions that would allow the police to unlock the gravitational centers of crime.
“We therefore need to pass resolutions which are smart, realistic, measurable, achievable, implementable and time-bound,” he said..
Ndeitunga declared the amnesty for firearms, ammunition and related materials, and it is about to go live.
The minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Albert Kawana, at the same event said: “The prevalence of crime in the country concerns all of us.
“I am, however, aware that fighting crime cannot be the responsibility of police alone.”
Minister said that fighting crime requires the intervention of all stakeholders, especially institutions charged with addressing socioeconomic issues. These are often what motivate criminals to commit crimes.
He stated that crime thrives in poverty, hunger, unemployment, lack of economic empowerment.
This Friday, the conference concluded after five days.
Source: namibian
