The Police Assistant Divisional Commander North, Dynah Marathe, has implored the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) to protect its tenants and customers from the escalating criminal activities.
Marathe, who was addressing the participants at a breakfast conference hosted by BHC in Francistown last week, indicated that they had recorded 462 break-in cases in 2008 in Francistown, as opposed to 294 in 2009, due to police effectiveness in fighting crime.
She stated that the reason she had to bring the issue of crime to the attention of BHC was in line with the value of the corporation, based on risk management objectives which were aimed at preventing risks that could negatively affect the safety of customers, including its future existence and reputation.
“The complexity of crime today challenges the public in Francistown to devote more attention and interest on the community policing discourse, particularly the concept of good neighbourliness,” she said.
She implored BHC to put some safety measures, such as burglar bars on doors and windows, on its houses to protect the tenants from criminal activities.
She further added that it was discouraging to learn that people continued to fall victim to crime.
Marathe emphasized that policing, which included neighbourhood watches, needed to be encouraged.
