Efforts to share security information between the police and the public have led to a significant reduction in crime in Lari Constituency, Kiambu County.
Traders in the region credit a strong team work between the community policing, Nyumba Kumi initiative, locals, national government administration officials and the police has left thugs fearing to operate in the area.
Businessman Hezekiah Kahia from Nyambari trading center said that cases of businesses break in and stealing, mugging and others had drastically reduced.
“Whenever a suspect is named, the police investigate quickly and it does not take long before they are arrested” Kahia said. “As traders and locals, we decided to help the law enforcers so that we can secure our businesses, towns and villages” he added.
Lari, which is also a sub county, comprises Kinale, Kijabe, Nyanduma, Kamburu and Lari Kirenga wards.
The sub county community police commander Emily Ngaruiya warned anyone who will try to enrich themselves with other people’s property by stealing them will be arrested.
She said they intensified day and night patrols, so as to quickly respond to locals distress calls.
“Our core business is to protect lives and property. Anyone who will try to think otherwise will just be arrested” she said.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Ngaruiya asked the locals to keep sharing insecurity information with her office, as detectives posted at the area were well trained to investigate tip offs without disclosing their source.
The sub county community policing chairman Njoroge Kamande revealed locals started sharing factual information after police conducted sensitisation forums.
“Traders and locals had been complaining of insecurity cases. House breaking and stealing, mugging, car jacking, being waylaid along the roads and other incidences” he noted.
“The strategy we laid and spearheaded by the sub county police commander has borne some fruits of lowering cases of insecurity” Kamande said.
Kamande also urged members of the public to continue sharing information as December cases of insecurity rises in many areas, vowing to work harder with the police so as to keep them down.
The police boss said that they are always alert, telling the community that they have posted in the area to work with them and lay strategies of improving security.
She also warned criminals working along the Nairobi Nakuru highway or the Kamandura up to Maai Mahiu highway that the traffic officers posted on those roads were always alert.
“We work as a team. You cannot achieve anything without the others. We have responded to accidents and incidences along the highways well. We thank the public for their partnership” she said.
Curators working at the curio shops along the highway also note that there is an increase in local and international tourists visits at their ventures owing to security.
“The tour guides cannot stop at our places of work if there are so many reported cases of insecurity” Harun Njane, a curator at Rukuma along the Nairobi Nakuru highway said.
