Stop stoning officers or be ready for hospital admission, cop warns Livingstone resident
POLICE have warned Livingstone’s Zambezi Sawmills residents to stop stoning officers on duty or should prepare themselves for admission to hospital with a possibility of being extended to heaven via the mortuary.
But Livingstone district commissioner Eunice Nawa says under the UPND government, the Zambia Police needs to work hard to redeem itself from the bad perception that is associated with the men and women in uniform.
Speaking at the Zambia Police Day held at the main post office on Friday, Livingstone police officer commanding Timothy Kashinakazhi thanked Livingstone residents who have been giving the police information with regards criminals.
“Allow me once more to sound a stern warning to those who are in the habit of stoning police officers in Sawmills each time officers are carrying out their duties in the area with immediate effect. You should stop or else be ready to be admitted to [Livingstone] Central Hospital with a possibility of being extended to heaven via the mortuary,” he warned.
“I know Human Rights [Commission] will not be happy but there should be no area that is a no go area. Police will use minimum force on anyone seen stoning police officers and you know what that means. No area should be a no go area for police officers. Be careful, your days are numbered.”
And Kashinakazhi said police started celebrating their day about six years ago to enable the community to feel free to interact with them.
He said the day helps the community to understand the police’s functions and also for the officers to have confidence in members of the public.
“We need to work as a team and not in isolation,” Kashinakazhi said.
He appealed to members of the community to provide credible information to police so that criminals can be flushed out.
Kashinakazhi urged police officers not to charge citizens for services such as police bond and medical reports.
“I wish to encourage members of the public each time you visit our police stations and posts to report to my command anything you feel is short of professionalism to my office because as police in Livingstone we are in a hurry to rebuild relationship with members of the public,” said Kashinakazhi.
“Accessing police bond is free to bondable offences inclusive of medical reports. Hence if any of my officers asks you to pay a fee for police bond you quickly report to my office and the officer will be disciplined.”
And Nawa, in a speach read on behalf by her administrative officer Hellen Mwanza, said the theme of the event: ‘Police and the community together we can rebuild our relationship for a better tomorrow’ could not have come at any better time as the police and community need each other.
“The theme is designed for the Zambia Police to check, amend, correct and restore the lost public confidence to the community and members of the public they serve,” she said. “That means that the police have a task under the new dawn government to work hard to redeeming itself from the bad perception that is associated with the men and women in uniform.”
Nawa urged the police service to advance technologically to be able to arrest criminals who are technologically advancing in their criminal activities.
Credit: The Mast