Peter Mutharika said 2015 marks a new dawn for us in our efforts to fight crime as we celebrate the passing out of over 1,800 new recruits.
The President congratulated the graduating recruits for their endurance during the training. He told the police recruits that the task ahead is a heavy one but with collaborative efforts he said incidents of crime can be reduced in the country.
The Malawi President said he is very concerned by the state of security in the country, as in recent times the country has been experiencing various crimes against persons and property.
Vehicle robberies, carjacking’s, residential burglaries, armed robberies, and home invasions have been on the rise.
Criminals perpetrating these crimes tend to work in large groups of 5-20 people, are most commonly armed with panga knives (machetes), and usually with at least one firearm. Criminals are quick to use violence if their demands are not met, and some expatriates such as Chinese nationals have been victims of violent crime.
The President assured the recruits that his government will not relent in its fight to reduce crime. He also said his government is already planning to recruit and train at least 10,000 more police officers to conform to the United Nations guidelines for policing which is one police officer to 500 civilians.
A report done a year ago noted that the capabilities of the Malawi Police Service are growing slowly, but their abilities to deter and investigate crimes, assist victims, and apprehend criminals are extremely limited. The police lack basic equipment (particularly transportation), are poorly funded, and do not receive sufficient training. Public support for the police has continued to drop due in part to alleged corruption and ineffectiveness in deterring criminal activity and has also seen a rise in the police committing the crimes themselves
