The Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Joseph Shikongo, says police visibility will be increased on the streets across the country this festive season.
Lieutenant-General Shikongo says visitors and citizens alike need peace of mind and to feel safe as they wind up the year at holiday destinations of their choice.
The top cop led a night patrol to some of the crime hotspots in the coastal town of Swakopmund as part of the launch of the festive season operation in the town.
Shikongo says the modus operandi will be to engage the public and instill their confidence in the police force as key partners in the fight against crime.
Throughout the street patrols, Shikongo says his regional commanders are required to devise strategies to build close relations with their respective communities.
"The 14 regional commanders, the heads of operations in all regions, and the national HQs are really for us to go out and be visible to the community and ensure that we timely attend to the call of our people and the community to have the numbers of our regional commanders and the community to have the numbers of the station commanders. Like today, here I have the acting regional commander, I have the head of investigations in our region, and I have the station commander of Mondesa. I am moving around with them, and wherever I get, I ask them to give their number to the community."
Among others, the Inspector General says he discovered that petty crimes like street robberies of cellular phones and drug use were among the serious concerns.
During the patrol, a number of suspects were apprehended for possession of marijuana.
He says regional commanders across the country have already been given orders to deploy enough boots on the ground until the end of January.
"We have taken cognisance of the festive season, and I have approved the deployment of special reserve force members that we usually deploy every year to Swakopmund. This time around, I am going to send two sections that will reinforce what we already have in terms of security mechanisms and our security setup in the region, so they will be here. I can assure you that our people, whether members of the public in Namibia or our visitors that are coming from other destinations, should come and feel free to come and enjoy their time here at the coastal towns of Namibia."
Shikongo called on all other institutions, such as the Roads Authority, local authority policing departments, neighbourhood watches, and women and men network groups, to join arms with the police to stamp out crime.