We all need to do a lot more to build up the resources for preventing crime, which automatically deters crime, and this requires everyone to have some responsibility and not just "leave it to the police".
The police are far more active in their relationship with the law-abiding majority and now with private security companies as business starts to see the advantages of good relations with the police. Police are also showing some innovation from their side, and are ready for more preventative measures.
Gangs of armed robbers are becoming more daring and despite many successes in rounding them up, there are more gangs in operation, even though most are brought to account by quality detective work eventually.
But those most at threat from these gangs would obviously prefer not to be attacked in the first place, and while seeing them rounded up and eventually jailed helps to deter, better protection at the actual robbery stages would also be useful. Among police specialists is the Zimbabwe Republic Police Support Unit, a group of officers specially-trained in a range of skills to do exactly what their title suggests, support the normal deployments. Support Unit officers are trained to maintain public order, when generally minimum force is possible with large groups properly protected.
They are also deployed in disaster management, again when large groups are appropriately equipped, makes this a lot easier. The sub-aqua units are deployed from Support Unit, another specialist function available to all police stations. They are also useful when more than ordinary force might be required. Support Unit officers are also trained to use weapons, hostage situation management, protection of key installations, protection of VIPs, mounting border police patrols and hunting down stock thieves.
Obviously, they are useful and have been used when gangs of armed robbers are surrounded and want to fight it out, usually changing their mind when they see Support Unit has been called in.
Now some security companies are seeking advice and support from the Support Unit for some functions, where the sort of training and weapons might be needed.
The police have made it clear that as anyone can approach the Police Commissioner-General for training or assistance, they have no problem with dealing with requests from security companies when extra muscle is needed. This clearly makes sense, both as part of the police duties and the need to ensure that at least some types of weapons that might be required in some operations remain a monopoly of trained State security units.
We cannot imagine anyone would like to see automatic weapons in any hands, but the police or defence forces, for example, where the training and discipline would be adequate to prevent misuse. Even though security companies need special licensing for their own operations and for each employee trained and selected for armed duty, there are obvious limits as to what can be done, although generally these companies can cope.
But sometimes something better than a bolt-action rifle, shotgun or handgun is needed, and at times an anti-crime unit of specialised police officers under suitable command is required.
Besides giving this sort of backing, the police also want to upgrade their ties with communities and the public to prevent and defeat crime, as a recent meeting showed of the crime liaison committees set up in many areas to ensure that proper cooperation is in place and that correct procedures are formulated and used.
The police rely on these committees to spread the word on how to prevent crime in the first place, and many people can, by following good advice, do a lot to minimise their risk or at least minimise their losses if criminals do attack them. Not all measures are obvious, hence the need for good advice, and some people dislike the advice, such as keeping cash in a bank rather than at home, and so need to have it stressed how dangerous this can be.
But besides that, the police rely on the public for so much of what they hear about crime. It is impossible to have a police officer on every street corner, but the ordinary public are continually walking around and often someone will see something odd or suspicious, and in many cases will actually know of some sort of crime being committed.
The police have been setting up hotlines, and most stations now have one along with provincial and national headquarters. People should, as a matter of routine, now put these numbers into their contacts on their personal phones, so they can raise an early alarm or pass on something that concerns them.
The police can sift the information and see if it is something to worry about or whether there is a unthreatening explanation. Police are also keen to see more community policing, that is communities working out how to protect each other by having someone at any one time keeping a look out for their neighbours and able to summon help, usually the police or other neighbours, if there is something untoward.
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Police are also keen to hear about people wandering around with a weapon, and threatening others or potentially threatening, and are keen to hear about drug dealers and others threatening the public.
In some cases just about the only available information, the intelligence as a senior officers call it, comes from the public. There have been times in the past when not all police and all the public were willing or able to work together and the police sometimes showed little interest in dealing with the public.
This has changed in recent years and every police station now has structures to listen to reports and deal with both information and with all those sorts of social crime and semi-crime that were once not well investigated.
The crime liaison committee workshop was also keen on businesses having better contact with the police and working more closely on preventing crime.
Criminals are not a majority in society and it seems obvious that to defeat crime, the majority need to act together, and as the majority also have their police on their side, better liaison between society and the police seems a major plus, especially considering the far better communications now available.
