BULAWAYO residents have urged police to prioritise safety over cash to protect residents’ lives.
The call was made by Emakhandeni-Luveve constituency during an inaugural crime indaba held at Luveve Youth Centre on Friday.
One of the residents said the police were focusing on patrolling areas around public drinking places so as to arrest those found consuming beer outside the designated areas, leaving out areas where serious crimes were being committed.
“We acknowledge police for their work to arrest those engaged in public drinking, but we urge them to patrol hotspot areas so that they can arrest criminals, hence protecting residents from being attacked and reducing criminal activities,” he said.
The residents accused police of “always patrolling areas where they can access easy cash”, adding that they should, instead, conduct patrols in all areas for the protection of residents.
Ward 11 councillor Susan Sithole urged police to act swiftly whenever a crime is reported.
“We are facing a problem whereby some police officers delay showing up when we report criminal activities happening around us, which puts the safety of residents in danger,” she said.
Sithole said there were instances where a resident is physically assaulted and when the crime is reported to police officers, they advise the resident to bring the offender to the station, “which is impossible”.
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“We appeal for police to protect us so that we are able to live in an environment which is free from criminal activities,” she added.
Luveve Police Station member-in-charge Inspector Almos Musona said police were dedicated to protecting the lives of citizens.
“We are going to beef up patrols in hotspot areas and work hand-in-hand with residents to eliminate criminal activities within our area,” he said.
