The Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Kenny Kapinga has thanked law enforcement officers for acting swiftly to foil an armed robbery in Tutume recently.
The officers had quickly attended to an incident in July 2010 and managed to arrest five (5) suspects before the commission of crime. The men, armed with pistols and house breaking implements invaded a house of one of the business men in Tutume with intent to attack occupants and rob them. The officers quickly followed the report and arrested all the five suspects after the exchange of fire that resulted in the injury of one of the suspects.
Addressing the nine (9) officers, comprising five (5) police officers and four (4) members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in Tutume yesterday (10/11/10) in the presence of the area administrative leaders, among them the District Commissioner, chiefs, councilors and cluster representatives, Mr Kapinga said the officers’ prompt action showed their devotion to duty and demonstrated their patriotism for the country.
He said the Botswana Police Service (BPS) needed public spirited officers like them to achieve its mandate of protecting life and property. He praised them for their perseverance and dedication to work and urged them to maintain the spirit.
Mr Kapinga said the Police Service needed officers who could subordinate their personal interest to public interest and having high level of integrity to win public trust and support. He however urged them to avoid revealing names of informers as that can adversely affect police public trust.
He said they should always commit themselves to police work despite challenges of conditions of service, saying the management is currently addressing such issues. He however, urged commanders to give credit to officer’s excellent work to enhance commitment to work.
He also said the police work is a thankless service that always attract more complaints than praises and urged them to stay focused in the public interest, even in difficult times to maintain peace and tranquility.
Mr kapinga also thanked the community for their continued cooperation with the Police in their community policing endeavors, saying increased participation by the community significantly reduced crime in the Tutume Sub-District especially in villages of Tshesebe, Mapoka, and Nlapkhwane.
He said the Botswana Police will continue to operate with partners like the Botswana Defence Force to fight crime. He refuted allegations of petty jealousies which the media says make it difficult for the two security services to work together. He said the BPS and the BDF were effectively collaborating with each other on many security issues, saying they assist them mainly on situations that require the use of weapons.
Commenting on the Acting Commissioner’s message, chiefs, councilors and cluster representatives thanked him for praising the officers in their presence for them to appreciate the contribution that the police continue to make in society. They said the police were doing a good job, especially in organizing and guiding cluster committees that they are part of.