Dowa Police Station registered 99 criminal cases in 2021 compared to 150 cases registered in 2020, representing a 34 percent decrease.
Dowa Police Public Relations Officer Sub Inspector Gladson M’bumpha said among the number of cases that were reduced include murder, assault, defilement, robbery with violence and rape while cases of theft, unlawful wounding, breaking into a building and committing felony therein and intimidation increased in 2021.
M’bumpha added that the decrease in crime has been attributed to continued visibility of police officers on day and night foot and vehicle patrols in all crime prone areas and consolidated efforts by engaging different stakeholders both at community and district levels to find ways of reducing such cases through increased awareness.
He added that Police also conducted campaign meetings to communities and through broadcasting of a one-hour radio program at Yetu Community Radio Station at Dzaleka Refugee Camp where messages concerning prevention of crimes were emphasized.
He further said that more community policing structures were revamped which made them vibrant and there was continued intelligent driven patrols in all crime prone areas in order to curb crime and among many other initiatives.
“Good coordination with other stakeholders such as traditional leaders, community policing members and community members are also contributing factors to crime decrease in the just ended year 2021,” he explained.
In traffic management, a total of 18 road accidents were recorded in 2021 compared to 16 road accidents in 2020, representing a 12.5 increase.
Speeding, drink and drive, un-road worthy vehicles and unattended livestock usually grazing near the roads have been mentioned as the major contributing factors to road accidents.
Meanwhile, Dowa Police Station has put in place strategies this year of 2022 in order to reduce road accidents. The measures include enforcement of speed limit, spot checks on drink and drive, removing of all un-road worthy vehicles and also sensitization to all road users.
In addition to this, intelligence driven patrols will be continued in all crime prone areas in order to curb crime this year, traffic checks will also be intensified to prevent road accidents, more community policing structures will be revamped in order to make them vibrant and awareness and sensitization meetings will be increased on issues to do with sexual offences for the district to be crime free this year of 2022.
In terms of prosecution of cases in 2021, there was a decrease in cases taken to court by 4.5 percent and in secured convictions by 14.2 percent during 2020 and 2021.
M’bumpha said this is due to Covid-19 pandemic which affected the prosecution services as more cases were not successfully investigated and taken to court in time.
