The rampant cases of crime in the country have been largely blamed to poverty and laxity of local leaders for failing to play their responsibilities.
Speaking to police officers and all local leaders during a community policing held in the Ntungamo district council hall on last week, the Assistant Commissioner of Police who is also deputy head of community policing in Uganda Police Force, Anatoly Muleterwa expressed that local leaders have failed to execute their mandate of being conscious about security of their residents leaving to only police.
The community policing was organised by directorate of political commissariat of police in conjunction with Ntungamo police under the theme” the role of LC’s in security”.
Muleterwa noted that it is the role of local leaders to monitor and support government projects aimed at curbing poverty levels at household in their areas saying that when people are in abject poverty and idle they will be forced to waylay well-off people in a bid to survive which will result into rape and murder.
He noted that the ignorance of local leaders on security matters and government programs has been a safe haven for greedy and selfish people to saboteur service delivery targeting local people thus leads to injustices.
Muleterwa expressed disappointment with increase cases of threatening violence, domestic violence and mob action in the district where Ntungamo district ranked the 2nd in Rwizi region with 10 cases of defilement and rape after Isingiro, Mbarara and Kiruhuura district which have 14 cases each.
He urged that to reverse the rampant cases in Ntungamo district the local council courts must be decisive while handling the civil cases and what they should try noting that the case back long and delay at police is due to inactive of such courts.
Muleterwa warned police against overlooking local council courts when they are trying their cases because they will lose morale.
The Ntungamo district police commander Damiano Katwesiime tasked the local leaders to supplement police’s in keeping law and order if sanity is to be prevailing in the district.
Katwesiime noted that the district has 20 police posts and 10 police stations with 212 police officers in 33 sub counties and town councils meaning that each is being manned by 5 police officers who are still low compared to the population.
The District boss Dennis Singahache hailed the political commissariat of police for reminding the local leaders their roles asking them to cascade the information to the local communities.
The Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner George Bakunda appealed to all participants to strengthen the neighbours’ watch scheme and vigilantes to reduce crime their areas of operations.
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