Placido Hilukilwa
IT is about time to get rid of the crime-prone Oshoopala informal settlement of Oshakati, evacuating all its residents and then absorbing them into other informal settlements as a way of breaking the chain of rampant crime.
That was one of the desperate recommendations aired during a recent meeting between members of the Oshoopala community and the top management of the police in the Oshana Region.
Oshoopala is known as the most crime-infested location in Oshakati where residents are openly complaining about stigma and discrimination.
A resident said: “We, the good and law-abiding residents, are viewed with suspicion and disdain for merely being residents of Oshoopala.”
Another resident added: “Even the police officers become reluctant to assist as soon as it is revealed that a complainant is from Oshoopala.”
Several other problem areas were laid bare as regional police commander Lungameni Sakaria and his team listened attentively.
That included the alleged habit of some police officers of exposing the identities of human sources of information; suspects who are released immediately after their arrest; police officers who are personal friends to known criminals, and cops who allegedly go on patrol unarmed. A specific incident was mentioned as example where a police officer had to flee when confronted by a panga-wielding suspect.
Proposed solutions to the Oshoopala criminality include the establishment of a police sub-station and increased police visibility.
“Simply give us guns because our houses are being broken into while we are inside, watching without being able to do anything about it,” exclaimed one of the residents, to the amusement of the cops and fellow residents alike.
There was also a demand that officers be rotated regularly because the longer they stay at one place the bigger the possibility of them befriending local criminals.
Commissioner Sakaria responded to the residents’ complaints and suggestions by pointing out the force’s manpower shortage and encouraging them to establish a neighbourhood watch.
Addressing the release of suspects he said that that is done either because a victim does not want to open a case or due to insufficient evidence.
Sakaria also countered a very strange demand for “police sharpshooters” to be deployed in Oshoopala saying the law enforcement agency is not there to shoot people. “We don’t want trigger happy officers. Guns are to be used only when really necessary,” he said.
PICTURED: Part of the big crowd that attended the gathering. Photos: Placido Hilukilwa
