Crime down by 1.5 percent
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Martins Okoth Ochola during the release of the crime report of 2023 at Police Headquarters at Naguru in Kampala on February 21, 2024. PHOTO/ FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- In 2019, President Museveni directed the police to have a skeleton police structure with only 20 police officers in one station at a sub-county.
- In November 2023, Mr Ochola said they began the sub-county policing model with Greater Masaka Region, where each sub-county received a vehicle, motorcycles, radio system and personnel strength of 18.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Martins Okoth Ochola, yesterday got a sigh of relief a fortnight to the end of his contract as IGP, when the police crime report for 2023 indicated that the volume of crimes have decreased by 1.5 percent compared to 2022.
The volume of crimes dropped to 228,074 cases in 2023 from 231,653 cases in 2022.
While releasing the crime report of 2023 at Police Headquarters at Naguru in Kampala, IGP Ochola attributed their success in the reduction of crime volumes to coordination with other security agencies and reorganisation of the Criminal Investigations Directorate.
“Our success has been due to the hard work of the police in coordination with sister security agencies, the reorganisation of the CID, improved detection and investigation methods, and the establishment of a proactive network of credible intelligence,” IGP Ochola said yesterday.
The annual crime report statistics are based on cases that are reported to the police across the country. Going by the volume of crime registered, the crime rate ratio also dropped from 524:100,000 in 2022 to 500:100,000 in 2023. This means for every 100,000 people, 501 are victims of crimes.
Uganda last registered such a drop during the 2020 Covid-19-induced lockdown where people movement beyond their homes was restricted. Due to the lockdown, there was enhanced deployment of both the police and the army.
IGP Ochola said they achieved some of their goals in 2023 after implementing the sub-county policing model in Greater Masaka, establishment of call centres and expansion of the motorcycle squads that have made them more visible and effective on ground.
In 2019, President Museveni directed the police to have a skeleton police structure with only 20 police officers in one station at a sub-county.
In November 2023, Mr Ochola said they began the sub-county policing model with Greater Masaka Region, where each sub-county received a vehicle, motorcycles, radio system and personnel strength of 18.
The model would be spread to other parts of the country after the provision of more funds, manpower and tools.
The Director of Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Mr Tom Magambo, said 51.4 percent of the crimes reported last year were registered in urban areas compared to 40.5 percent in the rural, areas while 7.1 percent were registered on highways.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Magambo said 84,907 cases were taken to court.
“Out of the cases taken to court, 27,125 cases secured convictions, 843 cases were acquitted, 10,096 cases were dismissed, while 46,843 cases are still pending in court,” AIGP Magambo said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice Jane Frances Abodo, said the increase in convictions is due to intelligence-led and prosecution-led investigations.
Justice Abodo said the number of dismissal of cases is high and hence a bad image to the police and prosecutors.
“This is a bit of an indictment on all of us. And the cry has been we don’t summon witnesses. I don’t know why we don’t summon witnesses. Actually, in most of these cases, witnesses didn’t come because they were not summoned. So we need to refocus and put more funds,” Justice Abodo said.
She said the Judiciary is recruiting more officers and it is putting pressure on her office and other criminal justice system actors.
“So we have to speak with one voice that we need to increase numbers to put more boots on the ground for the office of the DPP, for the police and other criminal justice agencies because we all deliver as one,” she said.
She said there is a need to retool the foot soldiers with technology since criminals are using advanced systems to commit crimes.
The senior technical advisor of the Justice Law and Order Service, Ms Rachael Odoi Musoke, said the conviction rate last year is at 71 percent, which is a good development.
“For the police, the conviction rate is critical. It is an indication of quality in investigations. It is an indication that work is being done well. The evidence is being collected and presented appropriately for the Judiciary to make decisions,” Ms Musoke said.
