• Greatest challenge arises when an OCS is transferred and replaced with one who does not understand the concept.
• Sometimes the cells at Lari and Kijabe police stations are empty as there is no criminal to lock up.
Image: FILE
It is a refrain heard in most public meetings—the government asking residents for information to help it beef up security.
The government advises residents to know their neighbours, their occupation and who they live with, so as to easily identify visitors and strangers.
In 2015, then President Kibaki launched community policing, whose underlying theme was know thy neighbour.
Police were instructed to form community policing committees, whose work would be to detect criminals, hence, prevent crimes.
The project's main objective was to reduce and eventually eradicate cases of robbery, mugging, housebreaking and terror attacks, as well as gangs.
The concept was well received in many areas, but many of the selected committee members, who were civilians, did not see eye to eye with the police, especially the Officers Commanding Station (OCS), and the concept flopped.
Lari subcounty, which initially had one police station, was one of those areas that embraced community policing and has witnessed a reduction in crime.
The subcounty, which is also a constituency, has two police stations: Lari police station situated at Uplands and Kijabe police station located at Kijabe Mission Centre.
Role of the OCS
Area community policing chairman Peter Kiugu said residents in areas where police officers were eager to see the project succeed were truly fortunate.
He says the attitude of the then OCS Peter Ouko encouraged wananchi to work harder to learn about community policing and the need to participate.
The chairman, who is also a businessman, says he and his team have been invited to Suba subcounty, Kitui county, Narok and Kikuyu to train local committees and the police how to successfully run community policing...“We silently regard ourselves as a resource centre since so many police officers come here to learn the concept from us,” Kiugu says.
Kiugu says the OCS is the secretary of the committee. He or she advises the committee on how the police work, how to report intelligence and to who, the does and don’ts of the committee as well as the police, and how to address other wananchi.
“At first, people viewed the first committee as a vigilante group. This was a more complex and involving concept where we shared ideas amongst ourselves and the police in a meeting, rather than a vigilante group where you gather at night to patrol,” Kiugu says
He says incidences of carjacking, housebreaking, animal theft and road attacks, where motorists and pedestrians are mugged and robbed, have reduced in nearly all villages and towns within the constituency.
Major Challenges
Their greatest challenge arises when an OCS is transferred and replaced with one who does not understand community policing.
“There were OCSs, who I will not name, who did not know about the concept. At one point, one told us that they could not understand us and to leave them to do their police work. He was less concerned about our role,” Kiugu adds.
Another challenge is some church leaders refuse to record statements and testify in court when churches are broken into and their equipment stolen.
“They say they are praying for the thieves to be born again and to be forgiven,” Kiugu says.
“When the thieves realise that, they break into more churches simply because no one will testify in court [against them] if they are arrested. This is a challenge.”
Resource Centre
These challenges, however, do not deter the committee. Before he retired, Kibaki awarded Kiugu with a Head of State Commendation (HSC) for the impressive management of the community policing committee.
The chairman, who is also a businessman, says he and his team have been invited to Suba subcounty, Kitui county, Narok and Kikuyu to train local committees and the police how to successfully run community policing.
Kiugu now wants Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to declare Lari police station a resource centre for community policing.
“We silently regard ourselves as a resource centre since so many police officers come here to learn the concept from us. We would want us to be declared one. We built an office, a hall and a waiting bay for members of the public at the station,” he says.
Kiugu says they plan to build a women and children rescue centre at the station.
He applauds deputy county commissioner Aaron Koros, county police commander Ali Nunow, subcounty police commander Ellen Wanjiku and Lari OCS Waigwa Machomba for embracing the concept.
On March 23, National Police Service Seniors College (Loresho Campus) commander Patrick Oduma led a delegation of 25 county commanders to learn about community policing from the station's officers and the subcounty committee.
Image: GEORGE MUGO
Oduma said the senior officials were trained to handle and deal with intelligence from wananchi.
“The concept faced political, social, economic and legal challenges. It went silent in many places, but where it was embraced, the fruits are being felt,” he said.
Benchmarking
On May 18, the Lari OCS told a delegation of senior police officers that the success of community policing lies in the handling of intelligence report, how they relate with residents such as traders, boda boda operators, matatu operators as well as church leaders and members.
Machomba urged officials not to disregard information, no matter how trivial, to show those feeding it to them that all details are important.
“You must work with people, show them you value the information they are giving you but remain a police officer who can arrest them if they become lawbreakers,” she advised.
A delegation from Kitui county was led by county commander Lydia Ligami and welcomed at the station by Wanjiku and Nunow.
The delegation comprised five subcounty police commanders, eight OCSs, 12 subcounty police commanders and OCSs from Kiambu county.
Wanjiku said cases of housebreaking, mugging and animal theft had reduced.
“Some years ago, buses used to be hijacked and diverted into forests such as Kinale and Kijabe, including villages, and passengers would be robbed of their money, valuables and left stranded. These carjackings used to happen at night,” the officer said.
She said residents would call the police to inform them about strange vehicles, and they would respond fast to rescues the passengers.
Wanjiku said recently, community policing members in Kinale ward heard of a suspicious car at night and mobilised to stop it.
Initially they suspected that the vehicle was transporting cow or donkey meat. But they discovered eight bags of cannabis sativa prunes worth more than Sh800,000 being transported to Mombasa.
“The Kinale area has a challenge of animal theft and the meat is transported in vehicles at night. The affected areas are Soko Mjinga, Kamae and Gathwariga, where we border South Kinangop and Naivasha subcounties” Wanjiku said.
“Residents are so alert at night. When they discovered the cargo, they called and we responded immediately.”
Encouragement
Nunow encouraged police to embrace community policing. He said sometimes the cells at Lari and Kijabe police stations are empty as there is no criminal to lock up. Residents know if they mess with law, they will be reported and arrested, he said.
“We will not give criminals room in this county. We have all agreed to use community policing and Nyumba Kumi initiatives to apprehend criminals and take them to court,” Nunow said.
The county police boss said they will spread the concept to the entire county to weed out criminals.
“We shall work all of us together. Lari people will be visiting all areas educating the community about the whole concept. Theirs is a success [story]. However, the criminals they chase from their area run to neighbouring subcounties," Nunow said.
"We do not want to report cases of housebreaking, murder, mugging, carjacking, robbery and even stealing. We want people to live, move around, do their businesses and interact peacefully and in full confidence of their security.”
Image: GEORGE MUGO