Police officers to sharpen combat skills

SYLIVESTER DOMASA IN DODOMA

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ernest Mangu

TANZANIA is considering a joint expert training for its members of the Police Force with their counterparts in Finland as a response to the spate of increasing criminal acts in the country.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ernest Mangu said here on Friday that increasing awareness and a changing world had significantly contributed to increasing criminal acts such as armed robberies.

Consequently, the situation requires a more sophisticated force to respond accordingly. He aired the remarks at the official launching of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Leadership of the Uongozi Institute Executive Programme.

The programme is jointly conducted with Finland based Aalto University Executive Education (AEE). "There is a need for our officers to undertake extensive training to actively respond adequately despite the increasing changes and ways of handling crime," he said.

At least eight police officers were recently ambushed and killed while returning from patrol outside the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam. The event was the latest in a series of killings by unidentified gangs targeting police and civilians.

A Minister in the Office of President (Public Service Management and Good Governance), Ms Angellah Kairuki, who officiated a the event said an exchange programme was the best approach to sharpen the Police Force.

"Tanzania and Finland police should consider having an exchange training with either side visiting its counterpart to identify and learn new tactics to respond to the menace," she said.

The new programme involved senior police officers from across the country. Each class, according to Uongozi management will comprise 30 participants and it is anticipated at least 60 officials will be trained every year for four consecutive years. Uongozi Institute Chief Executive Officer, Prof Joseph Semboja, said the training of senior officers was appropriate and seek to empower them with new skills.

"It will help improve police-community relations, analytical ability, innovation and human supervision expertise." The Us$7,800 annual fee high-level programme is first in Africa and is expected to improve competence needed to senior leaders.

Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said at the ceremony such training will help transform the state police including responding to criminal acts more timely.

He said the government acknowledges the need for the senior leaders to undertake regular trainings to meet the fast-increasing global developments. "We will continue supporting the police and civil servants partly to improve service delivery," he said.