Southern Region reduces crime rate
The Southern Region can afford a smile after reducing crime rate by 28 percent during the first quarter of this year.
This was revealed during a review meeting that reflected on how police officials in the region have performed in the first quarter of 2018.
Commissioner of Police in the Southern Region, Demster Chigwenembe, has attributed the development to cordial relations between police and members of the public.
Phalombe Police Station was, in this regard, awarded for performing well in the area of crime reduction. Law enforcers in the district managed to reduce the rate of crime by 59 percent, after recording 58 cases, compared to 142 registered in the first quarter of last year.
However, Chigwenembe condemned a police officer who is suspected to have been involved in the killing of Macdonald Masambuka, a 22-year-old albino young man from Machinga District.
He said police will not be shielding officers suspected of wrong-doing.
Despite the good news, the region continues to register increased cases of road accidents. The region has, during the first quarter of this year, registered a 28 percent increase in traffic-related accidents.
Chigwenembe said they would do their best to stem the cases.
“What we are going to do is to engage an extra gear by enhancing police presence on the roads. But our appeal to road users is to observe the country’s code of ethics when using the roads. What I can promise is that, come the second quarter of this year, you should be able to see positive change,” Chigwenembe said.
Chairperson of Southern Region Community Policing Forum, Misheck Munthali, called on stakeholders to intensify sensitisation campaigns to reduce cases of crime.
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