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Kinyarwanda
Journalists from the African continent visited varied Rwanda National Police (RNP) facilities seeking officer in action to understand Rwanda’s success in response to security-related issues which has made the East African country one of the safety places globally.
Journalists from South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Kenya’s Standard newspaper and Interpol media team from Lyon – France, were joined by local media practitioners in a two-day tour that started on Tuesday.
On the first day, they visited Rubavu district where they witnessed how the decentralized Interpol communication tool – I-24/7 – at Goma border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The tool connects all law enforcement agencies from 190 Interpol member countries and allows investigators access Interpol’s critical criminal data to search and cross check data on suspected criminals or wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents, stolen motor vehicles, fingerprints, DNA profiles, stolen administrative documents and stolen works of art.
CIP Jean Bosco Zingiro, from the department of Interpol at RNP, took the journalists through all channels and systems how a stolen vehicle, wanted criminals and fake and stolen documents, among others, can be tracked using the tool.
Rwanda is one of the few countries on the continent that have installed I-24/7 tool to all her border posts.
“We share this database with customs – Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) – and Immigration. Customs have access to ‘Rwanda Single Window’ that helps them to identify if for example an imported vehicle was stolen while Immigration has access to ‘Travel March’ which allows them to identify if individuals entering or leaving the country are wanted in any country, if they are traveling on forged on revoked documents,” CIP Zingiro said.
At least five wanted people have been identified and arrested in Rwanda since last year and deported back to countries where the warrants of arrest were issued.
Later in the day, they visited the National Police College (NPC) in Musanze District where they were received by the Deputy Commandant, CSP Joseph Rudasingwa, who explained to them on the milestone of the college in professional and academic programmes that are accessed by even officers from the continent.
Police officers from 15 African countries have attended the Police Senior Command and Staff, and the Intermediate and Staff courses at the college, which was identified as a ‘Regional Centre of Excellence’ in the advancement of skills development in the region.
On day two, the journalists got a chance to understand how the concept of community policing has played a major role in improving the overall safety and security; the daily operations of a Police Station, and the role of Isange One Stop Centre in responding to gender based violence and child abuse.
In Gasabo, the district Mayor Steven Rwamurangwa told the journalist that “among other things we take care of as administrative, security takes centre stage as a basis for fast development.”
They were enlightened on how community policing initiatives like Irondo (community night patrols), Neighbourhood Watch, Police-public timely information exchange have improved the overall life of residents.
In Gasabo, residents contributed money that helped each of the 15 sectors to acquire a community patrol vehicle, identified as installed CCTV cameras in hotspots.
ACP Damas Gatare, Commissioner for Community Policing in RNP, responded to various questions from journalists ranging from how members of Community Policing Committees (CPCs) are managed not to be agents of criminality.
“These people are elected by the people themselves, so they ensure that they elect people with integrity, those they trust, and if any member commits a crime, they are punished like any other Rwandan. No one is above the law,” ACP Gatare said.
“This whole concept of community policing has narrowed the gap between police and the public, captured the police trust among Rwandans and eased fighting and preventing crimes.”
The journalists are part of those that were selected by their respective countries to cover the 84th Interpol General Assembly that started on Monday in Kigali.
