Police warned against unnecessary road blocks

Government says unnecessary road blocks mounted by police officers across the country should be stopped.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Gerry Chanda said unnecessary road blocks have negative implications on the part of the police service and the government.

Col Chanda however noted that security road blocks are necessary but warned police officers not to conduct themselves in a manner that infringes on the rights of motorists’ movement.

The Deputy Minister was speaking in Choma yesterday when he addressed police officers in the district.

Col. Chanda noted that the trend was very common in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central provinces and advised police officers in Southern province to do away with such practices if the trend was also being practiced in the area.

He also gave the police officers across the country a one month ultimatum of which to ensure that all the police stations are kept clean by removing all the vehicles that have been packed at the stations.

Col. Chanda ordered that police officers should find owners of the vehicles that have over stayed at the police stations without fail to avoid painting a bad picture about the police stations.

He said it was even important to engage the media if necessary in order to trace owners of the vehicles that have over stayed at the police stations or auction such vehicles.

Chanda said government was committed to ensuring that police officers operate in a conducive environment that can give them morale to work efficiently.

He added that so far government had already paid for three helicopters to be used by the police service.

The Deputy Minister said the helicopters will come in police colours and that government had put all the arrangements to train the police officers that are going to be manning the planes.

Col. Chanda commended the police officers in the district for their hard work in making sure that crime rates are reduced.

Earlier,Southern Province Commissioner of Police Mary Chikwanda told the Minister when he paid a courtesy call at her office that the province was fairing very well in terms of reducing crime levels.