Police posts closure raises more questions

The boldness and ruthlessness of criminals over the last couple of years seem to have pushed the Uganda Police Force to close more than 1,600 police posts around the country.
According to police spokesperson Emilian Kayima, the Force in the sub-counties have been vulnerable and ineffective in their response to crime given their staffing challenges, among other issues. The Police Council has thus have resolved to close some stations as a solution.

Currently, the strength of the police force stands at 43,000 yet the requirements for the sub-counties countrywide is at 28,060 officers, more than half of the Force.
The challenges that made the Force to close some stations have been exhaustively explained by its spokesperson. However, is closure of the stations the best solution to preventing crime around the country?

Most importantly, if despite the presence of the Force, criminals could still dare to roam about and sometimes even attack officers at their stations, what then is the best option in place curb this? What measures has the Force put in place to address this? Won’t the communities now be more vulnerable? Chances are that murder, robbery, land feuds, and assault, among others, may shoot up.
The establishment of police posts was started in 2010 principally to nip crimes in the bud.

Therefore, it is important to ascertain, for instance, the role police stations (before their closure) played to improve the security of lives and property? And if this has been found wanting to the extent that it warranted their closures, so be it.
Still, the population wants to know what will happen to the crime preventers, many of whom were operating as informers and enforcers of police directives in the communities where the stations were established. And how is the Force going to detect and prevent crime in situations where police station are far away?

Nevertheless, the new leadership of Uganda Police Force should be encouraged to do whatever it takes to streamline the Force with a view to improving the security situation in the country.
Today, what the citizenry expects from police is bringing an end the spates of robberies, kidnaps and killings that have of recent rocked the country.