Why Luweero tops crime ranking in police report

A section of stakeholders in Luweero District are concerned about the high crime rate in the area.

According to the recently released Annual Police Crime Report for 2022, Luweero Police Station registered the highest number of crimes countrywide at 1,261, followed by Old Kampala Police Division at 1,201 cases.

A section of the leaders in Luweero District believe that the increase in national crime by 18 percent is a true reflection of what is happening in their area.

“In the year 2022, Luweero was hit by a series of criminal acts, including attacks on police installations that cost both lives and property. The wave of crime was high. We witnessed serious criminal acts against our people including theft of animals, murder among other crimes,” Mr Erasto Kibirango, the District chairperson, said on Saturday.

“The law enforcers are thinly spread but we also need mass sensitisation of the residents,” he added.

According to the crime report, Luweero District ranks second with the most reported crimes involving domestic violence at 501, while Kiryandongo District leads with 520 cases.

Likewise, Luweero topped the list of districts with high child crime in the country. Luweero Resident District Commissioner Richard Bwabye said most of the children that found themselves on the wrong side of the law failed to go back to school after the two-year Covid-19 induced lockdown.

He said the said children need counselling and rehabilitation by both the community and their respective parents.

“It is unfortunate that our area recorded a surge in child related offences in 2022. We had a challenge that many children did not go back to school in time after the long Covid-19 induced lockdown. We have, however, had a vigorous campaign to have children go back to school. Cases involving child offenders are likely to reduce,” he said.

While releasing the 2022 annual crime report on February 22, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, blamed the rise in the number of cases to the re-opening of the economy following the lockdown that was instituted to curb the spread of the Covid-19 disease.

According to the report, 231,653 cases were recorded for the year 2022 compared to 196, 081 cases registered in 2021.