adminTHE shooting of two police sergeants who were on duty by a suspected armed poacher in Chipinge on Tuesday morning is regrettable. May their souls and that of a civilian who was also gunned downed in the ghastly incident rest in eternal peace. The incident has plunged peace-loving citizens into mourning as the nation has lost two promising officers who were unfortunate to die in the line of duty.
Their valuable contribution to maintaining law and order in the country will be greatly missed. However, their deaths must not weaken us, but unite and make us stronger to fight crime. As such, we have to read deep into the incident and be wary of what the future has in store.
The poaching of wild animals is rife in the country’s game parks, with criminals employing all tactics in the book to get the trophies. The poachers are armed to the teeth and they can kill to avoid being arrested because they know that they will be sent to jail for lengthy periods if convicted of such offences.
Some of the poachers are working in cahoots with international cartels that have the financial muscle to buy them weapons to use. It is our considered view that the police must be well resourced – both in terms of human resource and weaponry – when dealing with armed suspects, be it armed robbers or poachers like in this case.
Tuesday’s Chipinge attack came as a surprise to the police officers who probably thought they were dealing with a small issue, yet an armed criminal was waiting to pounce on them. We are absolutely sure that had the police received adequate information, the fugitive suspect would not have escaped.
This incident has clearly shown that armed criminals must not be handled with kid gloves because they will attack if they are given the slightest chance to do so. Our police officers are our national resource and they need to be protected each time they embark on dangerous assignments.
When criminals shoot and kill our law enforcement agents as they did at Naffaton Farm, it is better for the police to harden its stance on such criminals and nip them in the bud before they take precious lives. Communities are greatly disturbed when officers who protect them are killed by suspects.
If it means that the police will have to shoot to kill armed culprits who are trigger happy like this one, let it be so. Our police force is a professional outfit that is recognised internationally for doing sterling work. It must be noted that if these criminals are left to act willy-nilly, they will form terror zones in some locations.
We therefore call on members of the public to provide valuable information that will lead to the arrest of this callous culprit. Yes, he disappeared after killing the police officers, but he is hiding somewhere within the masses. Criminals have no place in our society.
Online Reporter