Police stations around the country will soon be visited by teams to ensure that “improvements” at the different station locations continue, according to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA).
According to the release, the teams were established yesterday by the Ministry of Home Affairs after extensive consultations indicated that such teams were needed.
The teams were formed out of a committee, which will function as an inspectorate and following visits by the teams will make recommendations to the ministry.
The release reported Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee as saying that consultations confirmed the committee was needed and it should be constituted with representatives from the ministry, police both at the head quarters and the divisional levels, the private sector with members mainly from various chambers of commerce, community policing groups, the National Commission for Law and Order and the Station Management Committees. The ministries of Local Government and Regional Development and Public Works would also be represented.
Rohee insisted that the body will not in anyway supersede the responsibilities of the ministry and the police as it would be working in collaboration with both bodies. The terms of reference for the committee has been formulated and Rohee told GINA that specific roles and responsibilities for the committee have been identified.
Over the years, there have been many complaints about the deplorable conditions of several police stations around the country and there several instances of persons taking their lives while being in custody.
