Community Policing Coordinator at Monkey Bay Police Station, SubInspector Masautso Katemera, has called on learners in schools around Monkey Bay to desist from drug abuse and avoid destroying school property whenever they are in disagreement with school authorities.
Katemera made the call at Monkey Bay, St. Louis, Mtakataka, Namadzidzi and Sangazi Primary Schools during an outreach which was meant to raise awareness on negative effects of drugs on child development.
The Community Policing Coordinator also spoke against the tendency of vandalising school property when learners disagree with school administration saying vandalism is criminal and counterproductive to development.
Katemera observed that peer pressure drives most of learners to engage in drug and substance abuse believing that they become intelligent once they smoke marijuana.
“Drug and substance abuse is dangerous to your health and has potential to affect your education as such l urge you to avoid smoking marijuana and drinking beer,” the Monkey Bay Policing Coordinator advised the learners.
On vandalising and looting school property, Katemera said this was a crime against the law, adding that the best solution is to discuss their disagreement with school authorities other than damaging property.
He reminded the learners that the police placed complaints boxes in schools so that learners should drop in all school related gender based violence and all violence that happen to them in their respective homes.
“We placed complaints boxes in schools so that you should record and drop all your complaints in the boxes ,” the community policing coordinator said, adding that it is the duty of the police to open the boxes, look into complaints and to decide what to do next.
He also appealed to learners to observe all roads regulations to avoid accidents and Katemera further advised the learners to record vehicle number plates and inform the police in case fellow leaners are involved in hit and run accidents.
School authorities in Monke Bay asked the police to continue with the school outreach programmes saying there was need to continue engaging learners on issues of human rights so that they should fully understand that rights go with responsibilities.
The Monkey Bay police is implementing Safe School Program Initiative with financial assistance from Save the Children.
