ENSURE PEOPLE’S SECURITY WITHOUT BEING DEADLY

Friday, 07 December 2012

The recent shooting and injuring of a journalist by police officers once again cast aspersion on the efficacy of our law enforcement body. Yes, what happened to Mr Shaban Matutu, a stringer with Tanzania Daima newspaper, is most unfortunate, for it cements the notion among many that our police are increasingly becoming trigger-happy.  Mr Matutu’s shooting comes at a time when wounds opened by the killing in Iringa of TV journalist Daudi Mwangosi only a few months ago, are yet to heal. His death shook the country and proved to be one of the lowest points in the relationship between the law enforcers and wananchi.  The frosty relationship between the police and wananchi masks the numerous challenges that the law enforcers face. They include lack of equipment, inadequate in-service training, poor pay and an unfavourable ratio between police officers and the population, which is said to be about 1:1000 instead of the recommended 1:400. Among others, these challenges also include an outdated mindset among law enforcers that has remained stagnant despite changing times and roles.  As the roles of the police around the world evolve and take on a friendlier face, it is doubtful whether ours have adapted to these changes as well.   To bridge the divide that presently exists between the police force and members of the community, the government must ensure it regularly retrains its law enforcers so that they project a more positive image to society. After all is said and done, however, we should appreciate the many dangers that our police officers face in the course of their duties. We have to remind ourselves that as human beings, the police have a duty to defend themselves when faced with grave danger.  It is foolhardy, therefore, for law abiding citizens to openly disregard their orders once they have identified themselves. We appeal to wananchi to cooperate with the law enforcers; likewise we urge our policemen and women to strive harder to give the Force a more human face. Together, we can forster security! Source: The Citizen (TZ)