Botswana has recently experienced a surge in a number of Armed Robberies targeting our Banking system whereby ATM’s and Cash Transit Vans are now becoming “Soft Targets” to syndicate criminals operating between Botswana and our neighbouring countries.
This is an issue of concern to both the private sector and our law enforcement agencies and will require a Strategic Crime Response Model which will mitigate the threats; and reassure the public. Adopting what some call ‘shoot to kill policy’ will not deter criminals, rather criminals will also resort to lethal force knowing that they are faced with death and had nothing to lose.
Another important thing is that unlike the military which can get away with the uncodified shoot to kill policy as commonly used by BDF in the fight against poachers, the police are subjected to the rule of law and will always be scrutinised by an array of forces such as the academia, media, families of the victim, human rights groups and some members of the public who believes in holding the police to account.
The police are trained to use force which is proportionate, legitimate, accountable and necessary something the military does not adhere due to the nature of their job. Police are to use lethal force as a last resort unless when faced with imminent danger or had to save lives.
This kind of approach to policing known as the ‘Zero Tolerance’ to crime where they adopt a relentless and more aggressive tactics to crime prevention has failed in other states. Policing requires a working strategy which can be measured and achievable.
Millions of pula are lost through various serious organised crimes within the country and through deploying new Crime Prevention Strategies, that’s when we can close the vulnerabilities exposed by these criminals.
Obviously Covid19 had a huge impact in our policing resources in terms of manpower and finance as a result the police resources has been depleted and this has compromised our security. This is the time for police to show some resilience, adapt to current challenges and also evolve with new crime dynamics.
What we would also like to see happening is what we call Inter-agency collaboration between the government and the private security industry . This will open a dialogue on how best our law enforcement and private security can best respond to serious organised crimes which if left unattended will cripple our economy and even deter potential investors.
The recent crimes are a test to our security practitioners to see how they can handle the challenges. Time is now for them to employ a National Crime Strategy which involves both the private and government agencies to work together to reduce crime. The Strategy should be able provide multifaceted solution.
We need layers of security measures which will make it difficult for the criminal syndicate to even attempt to commit a robbery in the first place. These layers of security includes strengthening our border security, reviewing our physical security measures at ATMs and Banks the best use of technology, overhaul our security training within the private sector and the recruitment processes especially vetting.
One of the major projects this country can undertake is to launch the Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras (ANPR) at each Border entry point and strategically around the country. These cameras will help our law enforcement agencies to be able to trace, monitor and profile vehicles of interests as they enter, move around the country and whenever they cross our borders. This will assist in the gathering of intelligence and enable police officers to detect, deter, deny and respond to crime in a more proactive and efficient manner.
The ANPR cameras especially in the UK have proved to have reduced crime in areas where they were installed due to a high number of crime reports. This also led to a number of suspects arrested as a result of data collated from ANPR cameras.
Another tactic the police can deploy is the use of more undercover police officers on the ground especially at hot spots areas to detect potential criminal activities. This will be done in liaising with private security companies so that every player knows what the strategies are.
Regular police patrols within the city can also be an effective deterrent and also enable the police to respond quickly should they be needed. This, especially in Gaborone could be assigned to Special Support Group (SSG) which does not have to worry about everyday general policing duties. We should appreciate and acknowledge that police requires all players to take part in the role of protecting citizens, assets and their businesses.
The business sector and the police should engage each other more often on issues related to crime prevention and come up with achievable crime preventative measures. Failure to work together will leave the business community vulnerable to criminals and trying to investigate a crime which has already been committed can be costly and at times the money stolen not recovered.
What we do not want to see happening is now BDF escorting cash cars around the city or country. This is a sign a failure and laziness to think we need sustainable measures to be deployed to mitigate the current threats and this could be purely by having joint strategy on crime prevention which includes quick response by the police
Policing has to develop new tactics and capabilities to meet these threats and keep people save and reassure the business community. It also has to ensure it provides effective, value for money service that the public can trust.
Velly Mpopelang is a Counter Terrorism Security Officer in the UK