Malawi Police losing more officers to Aids-report

HIV and Aids is one of the challenges devastating the Malawi Police Service with the virus claiming lives of many skilled officers, Blantyre police annual report has disclosed.

Released on March 19, 2013 and compiled by Blantyre Police assistant Public Relations Officer, Lameck Thembachako, the report however discloses that the station was failing to implement HIV and Aids prevention awareness campaign due to lack of funds thereby compromising efforts to reduce the impact of the pandemic on the service.

“It is undisputed fact that HIV and AIDS is claiming the lives of many skilled police officers. Looking at the challenges the pandemic is posing to the service the station has put in place ways and modalities of preventing and mitigating the impact of the pandemic,” the report reads in part.

Meanwhile, the station has a total of 672 officers.

The Police is one of the organisations in the country with the highest rates of HIV/Aids and despite a few efforts to curb the spread of the disease, the results are not positive.

It is rumoured that some police officers demand sex from female detainees and prostitutes.

The report also reveals that the law enforcers have managed to reduce crime rate in Blantyre district by 15.3 percent in the year 2012 with 8,424 crimes and 445 tips registered leading to 413 arrests and 435 recoveries to the value of K83,600,800.00.

“During the year under review a total of 8,564 criminal cases were reported at the station as compared to 10,109 criminal cases registered in 2011 representing 15.3 percent decrease. In 2012, 286 statutory cases were reported against 377 cases reported in 2011 representing a 25 percent decrease”.

The report further discloses that during the covered year, the station witnessed an upsurge in road accidents with a total of 400 fatal and serious accidents registered as compared to 345 accidents in 2011, representing 13.7 percent increase.

The station campuses four Sub-Stations Soche, Milare, Ndirande and Chilomoni apart from seven units of Chilobwe, Mpemba, South Lunzu, Sigerege, Chirimba Kabula and Manase.

During 2012 the Station and all formations undertook various activities to the success with support from the members of the community.

Among other attributed activities the station undertook include training community policing facilitators, dissemination crime related messages to and from communities, conducted regular awareness meetings with different communities in issues of safety and security, improve crime prevention and partnership activities through property marking, conducting home audits and security surveys.

However, the station has lamented lack of adequate funding and transport as some of the challenges compromising its crime reduction rate.

Southern Region Police Commissioner, Roderick Chinyama told the local media recently that lack of transport was paralyzing operations as most of vehicles are currently grounded.

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