New recruits help reduce crime in MZ

Mzuzu Police Station has hailed the coming in of 150 new police recruits in the city, saying their presence has helped reduce crime and road accidents.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Mzuzu Police spokesperson Martin Bwanali said, the recruits have boosted the police-public ratio.

He said before the recruits were deployed, police had to serve a large population which was hard to manage. Although the ratio is still high, Bwanali said the new recruits have had a big impact on crime and road accidents reduction.

He also said patrols that police embarked on in residential areas and the central business district also helped to curb crime. He said due to police visibility a number of criminals fail to commit crimes.

From January to October this year, the city has recorded 1 629 crime cases against 1 905 cases during the same period last year. The city has also recorded 181 road accident cases against 221 last year.

“We also attribute this success to the working relationship that we have with the public. People tip us off on crimes and we make arrests. Noting the number of people getting arrested and being sent to jail, others fear to commit crimes,” said Bwanali.

He said officers have also intensified traffic checks, impounded vehicles that were not road worthy and also taken to task unqualified drivers to reduce road accidents.

Of the 181 road accidents recorded so far this year, 30 were fatal. Last year, police recorded 34 fatal accidents. n