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MORE than 8 000 robberies have been reported so far, with about half being armed robberies, Police Deputy Commissioner-General, Learn Ncube, has said.
Speaking during a meeting organised by the Security Association of Zimbabwe, Deputy Comm-Gen Ncube said there was a proliferation of guns in the hands of criminals and the trend was disturbing.
He said 8 542 robberies were reported in 2022, and 4 609 of them were armed robberies.
“It has become a thorn in the flesh for us in the security services just as it has sent shivers down the spines of the general citizenry we are supposed to protect.
“Included in the cases of armed robbery are incidents whereby security guards have been brutally attacked, their weapons taken away and in severe cases, lives lost.”
He said almost every day, robbers were attacking people they believe were carrying or possessing large sums of foreign currency at their homes or business premises.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister, Kazembe Kazembe, said armed robbers had become sophisticated and increasingly difficult to catch.
“There is a need to train the police on modern-day policing.
“It is disturbing to note that criminals are continuously adopting creative techniques to target their victims at an unprecedented pace and are constantly seeking methods to avoid detection,” Minister Kazembe said.
Poor equipment and lack of proper technology for law enforcement agents have been cited as the major causes of failure to curb increasing criminal activities across the country.
“To stay ahead of them, the need for relevant stakeholders to come up with services or products that make it difficult for criminals to carry out their activities cannot be overemphasised,” Minister Kazembe said.
“Police can work hand-in-hand with security companies to eradicate crimes such as robbery.
“Let me, therefore, emphasise that in this 21st century, security systems should be underpinned by technological solutions for ease of doing business.”
Also complicating the country’s fight against armed robbers is the involvement of some rogue serving and ex-servicemen in armed robberies.
Online Reporter