Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has acquired high-powered boats, motorbikes and additional patrol vehicles in a major boost to law enforcement, emergency response and crime-fighting operations across the country.
The new equipment will be strategically deployed to police provinces and stations to strengthen patrols, rescue missions and rapid-response capabilities, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba has released several boats for operations along major waterways.
“The Commissioner-General of Police, Stephen Mutamba, has released several boats for police operations, which include rescue activities, water escorts and patrols along the country’s major waterways,” said Comm Nyathi.
“The high-powered boats will be strategically deployed in police provinces and stations to strengthen law enforcement and emergency response capabilities. In the same vein, the Commissioner-General of Police commissioned police bikes for scene attendance and patrols in areas with rugged terrain.”
The motorbikes will be deployed in farming communities, rural areas and central business districts across all provinces, enabling officers to respond quickly to incidents in difficult-to-access locations.
As part of the modernisation drive, ZRP has also commissioned new vehicles for the Police Canine Unit, which plays a critical role in tracking suspects, managing public order situations, sniffing out drugs and conducting searches during crowd control operations.
“As part of efforts to provide improved and quality service to Zimbabweans, the ZRP also commissioned new vehicles for use by the Police Canine Unit to attend to reports of crime, track suspects, manage public order situations, sniff for drugs and conduct general searches during crowd control activities,” said Comm Nyathi.
Last month, the ZRP also launched a dedicated Special Tactics Troop — a highly trained rapid-response unit modelled on elite police forces such as South Africa’s Special Task Force, Kenya’s Recce Company and the United Kingdom’s Specialist Firearms Command.
The unit, which graduated after intensive training, will respond to high-risk incidents including armed robbery, kidnapping, murder and smuggling.
The launch comes against a backdrop of rising violent crime and a series of high-profile murders that have heightened public concern.
In addition, Comm-Gen Mutamba has deployed three more rebranded vehicles to the National Highway Patrol Unit, bringing the fleet to nine as police step up efforts to improve road safety and combat highway crime.
