The Inspector General of Police has asked officers in the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (CID) to ‘stop treating civilians in the manner that discredits the image of the Force’.
Martin Okoth Ochola, who was the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the CID Management Retreat on Monday in Kibuli said Police has been discredited in everything they do because of the few indiscipline individuals especially in the CID.
“I urge investigators to behave in a manner which does not discredit the Force or undermine public confidence, whether on or off duty. All officers on duty, whether in uniform or in plain clothes, must display a positive image of the Force,” said Ochola.
Ochola’s caution follow several human right reports which have indicated police as a leading security agent in violating human rights and other rights.
According to the chairperson Uganda Human Right Commission (UHRC) Medi Kagwa, for the over five years Uganda Police has been leading in security agents that violate human rights.
Now Ochola has asked them to apply professionalism in whatever they do.
“Carry out your investigations professionally and see if they will point at, but most of don’t,” he added.
On pending investigations reports, Ochola asked detectives to start working within the time schedule and deliver them in time to avoid mistrust.
“From today all investigations should be conducted and reported in a timely manner. This is especially critical given the impact investigations have on the lives of individuals and activities of organisations,” he said.
He added that the more investigative reports keep pending, society will lose trust and capability in police to handle crimes and other related things.
Reports on the murders of former Police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi, former Arua Municipality lawmaker Ibrahim Abiriga, former Buyende Police Commander Muhammad Kirumira, on the recent killings of mobile money operators are some of those pending.
Meanwhile, Police has confirmed that investigations are going on into the gruesome murder of a boda-boda rider in Kakeeka Zone, Rubaga Division by two unidentified males. The murder was captured on the CCTV cameras of a nearby nursery and primary school.
“At the moment, our cyber forensic experts are analysing the CCTV footage for facial recognition and formal identification of the suspects, as well as the registration number plates of the stolen motorcycle. We are also engaging managers of all boda-boda stages, whose members could have disappeared or anyone that might have knowledge about a missing rider or the two male suspects, to contact police,” said Police spokesman Fred Enanga on Monday while in the weekly press briefing at Police headquarters Naguru.
Enanga has also urged bodaboda riders to avoid late night transactions, carrying more than one passenger and also encouraged them to share trip details with their colleagues.
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