Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police has urged National Park rangers to look beyond protecting their respective reserves and also assume a public watchdog responsibility by contributing to fighting crimes like drug trafficking and abuse.

While addressing about 120 park rangers who are undertaking a civic education course at Police Training School in Gishari, on Thursday, the Director of Civic Education, a unit under Community Policing Department, Senior Superintendent Teddy Ruyenzi, reminded the rangers that besides keeping the parks safe, they also have to ensure that the neighborhoods are equally safe.

“You must be alert at all times; if you get sloppy, the park reserves can easily be a den for criminal like drug traffickers and abusers, or some people could use them as illegal gathering with an intention of causing insecurity,” Ruyenzi said.

The meeting was also attended by Landrada Umuraza, a commissioner from the National Itorero Commission (NIC), who also told the rangers to leave no gap in ensuring safety of environmental reserves from poachers and other encroachers and those that would want to use them as hideouts to or after committing crimes.

Umuranza also commended Rwanda National Police for its community policing initiative which she said has since made all Rwandans responsible of their security.

Community policing has been a cornerstone of peace and security in general and crime prevention and reduction in particular; it has simplified the policing architecture in Rwanda. It is today considered one of the most effective tools in the fight against and prevention of crime.

In 2000, when RNP was created, it adapted community policing tool as a strategy to build ties and work closely with members of the communities to overcome crime. Today there are over 140, 000 members of Community Policing Committees (CPCs) across the country.

In a related development, Police in Kirehe district, yesterday, arrested Jean de Dieu Bikorimana in connection with poaching. The suspect is alleged to have been part of a group that killed a hippopotamus.

According to article 417 any person who poaches, sells, injures or kills a protected endangered animal species shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five years to ten years and a fine of Rwf 500,000 to Rwf 5 million.