WINDHOEK- The Namibian Police Force (Nampol)’s five-year strategic plan could help the force tackle the backlog of pending dockets or investigations countrywide.
This is according to the Strategic Plan 2017 to 2022 and Customer Service Charter, recently launched by Daniel Kashikola, the Deputy Minister of Safety and Security.
Kashikola noted the case docket investigation will be sub-divided – reported cases and backlog cases. This will be done to allow for speedy turnaround times in the conclusion of police investigations.
“Old and backlog cases will be investigated by dedicated investigators who will be given ample time to investigate these backlog cases without compromising the investigation of newly reported cases,” said the deputy minister.
In August, Nampol revealed the police at the time had 176 709 pending dockets or investigations countrywide with Khomas Region alone contributing 56 percent or 98 264 to the total number of outstanding cases.
At the time Nampol’s Inspector General, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga, noted that his office has received complaints from prosecutors that when a prosecutor sends a docket back to an investigator with further instructions, it would take an investigator a long time to complete these instructions, and sometimes they fail to comply with the instructions, leaving a magistrate with no other option than to strike the matter from the roll, albeit provisionally.
In order to tackle such issues, Kashikola explained that the strategic plan has set out key pillars, strategic objectives, programmes and projects to be vigorously pursued in order for the police force to deliver mandate-specific, responsive and meaningful services to the public, in an efficient and effective manner. Under the crime prevention project Nampol hopes to improve its response time to emergency calls in both urban and rural areas. The crime investigation project will tackle the backlog of case docket investigations, whilst the service delivery project will be tackling feedback to customers, organizational structure and skills and competency in core function areas.
“The strategic plan will assist the Namibian Police Force to chart a practical and inclusive road map that not only galvanises the rank and file to action, but which also establishes an ethos of excellence and professionalism that impacts public trust,” noted Kashikola.