Crime, road accidents drop in 2022
Malawi Police Service (MPS) has reported a three percent drop in crime and a 43 percent decrease in road traffic accidents in 2022.
Speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of Police at end-of-year party for South West Police Region in Blantyre, Police Commissioner Barbara Tsiga attributed the drop to collective efforts between the public and the police.
She said: “The reduction in crime is a result of our collaboration with members of the public and unwavering support police get from various stakeholders.
“On the other hand, the reduction in recorded road accidents resulted from intensified traffic checks and patrols and awareness.”
According to MPS statistics, 39 335 crime cases were recorded in 2020, a three percent drop from 40 627 cases reported in 2021.
The records also show that 5 034 road accidents were reported in 2022, a 43 percent drop from 8 895 recorded in 2021.
According to MPS, they also recorded 1 920 rape and defilement cases in the previous year, a 21 percent drop from 2 421 cases reported in 2021.
Tsiga said in 2022, they had 8 925 break-ins from 8 651 in 2021, representing a four percent increase.
MPS also recorded 1 904 robberies last year from 2 043 in 2021 which is a seven percent decrease.
On road accidents, Tsiga said the reduction was observed in all categories.
“For example, fatal accidents decreased by 25 percent while serious accidents reduced by 30 percent,” she said.
Tsiga added that the most vulnerable groups were pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists aged between the ages of 15 and 45.
She said: “As a country, we still need to address the causes of road accidents such as drink and driving, over-speeding, failure to wear reflective clothing and low use of crush helmets.”
A study by Kamuzu Central Hospital and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health whose results were published mid-2021 also showed that alcohol is one of factors that contribute to road accidents.
And according to the United Nations, road traffic accidents cost most African countries three percent of their gross domestic product.
But Tsiga said police will intensify stakeholder engagement in 2023 as part of their efforts to reduce road accidents and that traffic police will be equipped and modernised to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
While the statistics show that 58 police officers lost their lives in 2022, a total of 2 975 police constables were added to the service which Tsiga said has increased their numbers and improved police service accessibility.
Malawi has less than 15 000 police officers against a 30 000 requirement with the global standard for the police population ratio being one officer to 500 people.
In the previous year, the government also supported the police with 69 vehicles.
In a separate interview, South West Police Region Commissioner Richard Luhanga described 2022 as a success, attributing it to improved working relationship with the public.
Luhanga said moving forward the police will ensure that citizens are served better, stressing that it is the taxpayers that ensure the service is available across the country.
In previous years, Malawi has been struggling to deal with crime and road traffic accidents which have been affecting the public in general.
