Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:42:10 +0000
BY CHINTU MALAMBO
POLICE officers must go on foot patrols if they do not have transport other than using private motor vehicles which would raise suspicion among members of the public, Police spokesperson Esther Katongo has said.
Ms Katongo said that police officers were supposed to be easily identified by members of the public through the use of branded motor vehicles.
She said that it would be difficult for the public to tell whether one was a genuine police officer or not in cases where they were using a private vehicle.
Mrs Katongo was responding to complaints by Mtendere residents against harassment by police officers whom they accuse of apprehending people for loitering and idling as early as 20:00 hours using private motor vehicles.
“The best is for police officers to do foot patrols where they do not have motor vehicles or they can engage members of the public and probably indicate to them the type of ve-hicle that they would be using,” she said.
Ms Katongo said it was not safe for the members for the public to try to help the police when they had no transport because the same ploy could be used by criminals pretend-ing to be police officers.
“Where anyone just comes up in any vehicle in the night and picks up people, claiming to be a police officer, is not right because it will open doors for kidnappers who may lure people on pretext of being police officers,” she said.
