By Anna Shilongo
WINDHOEK
This year, the Namibian police scored huge successes.
Achievements worth mentioning include the arrest of the Standard Bank armed robbers, the Woermann & Brock armed robbers, Heja Lodge armed robbers, the German tourist murderer, the Kenyan national who allegedly killed his wife and dismembered her body at Grootfontein, as well as the five escapees who escaped from the Windhoek Central prison.
“Thanks to the efforts of the law enforcement officers and the public who were involved,” said the police public relations officer, Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu during a press conference in the capital recently.
Amulungu, who was speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of the Police Sebastian Ndeitunga, expressed appreciation to the public for the support and assistance they rendered.
“Your assistance in the form of material, financial, moral support and through the provision of information has greatly contributed to the realization of our mandate which is the maintenance of law and order.”
He was of the opinion that such cooperation should be strengthened in order to create a crime-free environment.
“It is obvious that criminals are from within the community. They are in fact our brothers, sisters, cousins, wives, husbands, neighbours, etc., thus for them to be arrested and brought to court, the police need information about their whereabouts from the members of the public. It is only through your cooperation that we can successfully apprehend them and bring them to court for prosecution.
“In as much as he appreciates the good cooperation from the public in terms of providing information regarding criminals, some members of the public however go as far as obstructing police officers or try to offer/bribe them in order to defeat the course of justice,” he said.
“These intentions are unlawful and uncalled for, hence perpetrators will be liable for prosecution. In this regard, I would like to sound a warning that such acts should be avoided at all costs,” said Amulungu.
Despite the successes, the force faces numerous challenges, such as the unsolved murders of the late Juanita Mabula, Melanie Jantze, Fiola Swartbooi and Sanna Helena Garoǟ