admin
significantly this year compared to last year.
This year a total of 147 586 cases were recorded as compared to 148 742 cases recorded last year.
Murder and stock theft cases also decreased by 17 percent and 16 percent respectively during the period under review.
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri yesterday said as the festive season mood grips the country, criminals would want to take advantage of the merry-making atmosphere to commit various offences.
“I would like to assure the nation and all the visitors that the ZRP shall be uncompromising in guaranteeing a crime-free environment as it has always been its trademark,” he said.
Comm-Gen Chihuri was speaking at this year’s last police pass out parade where 441 policemen and women graduated yesterday after undergoing a six-month training programme.
He said the nation continued to lose precious lives during the festive season as a result of road carnage.
Comm-Gen Chihuri challenged the public transport operators to observe the sanctity of life by ensuring that vehicles were roadworthy.
“In the same vein I implore all motorists to strictly adhere to traffic rules in order to avoid turning our roads into a traffic jungle,” he said.
Comm-Gen Chihuri said the force has a constitutional duty to maintain law and order.
He said there were mindful of the imperative need to dovetail their police training programme with the dictates of contemporary demand for quality policing services in dealing with criminal sophistry.
He said the force was deeply concerned with the sporadic and isolated cases of political violence perpetrated by some unruly political elements during this year especially in Harare.
He said violence as a means of expression, settling political differences and forcing others to conform to one’s ideologies and principles was not only alien but also inconsistent with the spirit of nationhood and nation building.
Comm-Gen Chihuri warned merchants of violence that, the force had the requisite stamina to decisively deal with all malcontents who were bent on destroying the ‘very fibre’ of unity.
He challenged all politicians and their supporters to emulate the principals of the three main political parties who recently denounced all forms of violence.
“It is, thus, my strong conviction that political leaders shall walk the talk by continuously impressing upon their supporters the nascent need to be tolerant and more importantly to save their energy for production purposes rather than engaging in violence,” Comm-Gen Chihuri said.
The Commissioner-General said he was aware of the factors that continued to militate against the force this year as a result of limited fiscal support.
He said it was worrisome that there was an acute shortage of operational vehicles and other equipment, hampering the force’s policing initiatives.
Comm-Gen Chihuri said he was proud to note that the force managed to deliver proficient and quality service to the public.
Online Reporter