Police desperate for modern equipment

The speedy response by police officers during the recent grenade attack on a Kampala bound bus was commendable and showed the efficacy of our security agents.

Police swift action saw the arrest of several key suspects and ensured that victims received the necessary aid.

At the scene, however, one thing came to the fore. Many police officers now rely on their mobile phones as opposed to walkie-talkies or other modern specialised police gadgets for communication.

Several police officers, junior and even seniors at the scene were communicating on their mobile phones. The officers received and dispatched information, coordinated the rescue operations and tracked down suspects using their mobile phones.

Important information

Ironically, as the officers issued orders on their mobile phones, many were carrying their official communication equipment, walkie-talkies in their hands.

Walkie-talkies are handheld battery-operated radio transmitters and receivers used by the police and other emergency personnel to communicate.

Police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that mobile phones are slowly becoming the ‘official’ police communication equipment.

"I do not remember the last time I used a walkie-talkie. It must be several months back. I always use my mobile phone to communicate when briefing my seniors or passing important information on crime to my colleagues," said a police officer in Nairobi.

The policeman says the difficulties they experience when using walkie-talkies have made many officers switch to mobile phones.

"Most of the walkie-talkies we are given are very old or they do not function properly, some because of poor handling. They, therefore, offer poor services. One has really to struggle to pass information," he says.

Dead batteries

The officer gives an example of a walkie-talkie he was once given which had dead batteries.

"I left the station with the gadget for my usual beat. I had fully charged the batteries but they did not last 30 minutes. When I found a robbery incident in the area I was patrolling, I had to use my mobile phone to pass the information to the station commander. I do not use walkie-talkies anymore," he says.

Another officer only identified as Mutheu informed CCI that walkie-talkies have become unattractive to many officers because of the procedure of communication one has to use.

"The process is cumbersome. The call first has to go through the base station, then to the control room before reaching the intended person who for instance is the OCS. It becomes even more problematic when using an old walkie-talkie," says traffic police officer.

But with his mobile phone, the officer says he can call the OCPD directly.

"I do not have to go through the tiresome process with a mobile phone. This therefore saves time during emergencies," he says.

Interestingly, the officer says although they have turned to mobile phones for communication, they shoulder the cost of using the gadgets as they serve the public.

"Who will give you airtime?" the officer poses. "Only senior officers are given money for airtime. We use mobile phones at our expense to help the public. Remember our slogan says utumishi kwa wote," he says. By shouldering the communication expenses, some officers are usually reluctant to respond to the public’s enquiries for assistance or end up soliciting bribes to recover their money.

The officer isolates police officers in rural areas or remote outposts as those mostly affected.

"It takes time for such officers to get new equipments for instance vehicles. They struggle to pass relevant information. For us we are lucky that we are near the headquarters, therefore, our seniors can make follow up easily," he says.

However, this does not mean that police officers in urban areas are better off.

It has become the norm these days to see officers controlling traffic in several areas around the city using their mobile phones to communicate with their colleagues about traffic-flow and incidents.

Mr Simiyu Werunga, a security expert, says use of mobile phones by police does not compromise security of sensitive crime information.

Prone to hacking

Interestingly, according to the expert, mobile phones are more secure than the walkie-talkies police have currently.

"The walkie-talkies are archaic and prone to hacking. If an officer loses the gadget, it is easier for criminals to use it to listen to police communication since the device cannot be removed from police circle of communication," he observes.

On the other hand, he says mobile phones have a secure line of communication making it hard for criminals to tap into the system to listen to people’s communication unless it is done by with the help of mobile phone service providers.

However, Werunga notes that mobile phones should not be encouraged by police as the means of crime management.

"What the police need is a secure modern form of communication that can prevent tapping or listening in by criminals. And if a gadget gets lost, it can be effectively removed from the circle of communication," he says.

Werunga adds that to increase efficiency in crime management, the Government must equip police officers with necessary communication equipment and crime data management systems.

While launching the 2010 crime statistics and trends, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere noted that the police are under equipped and lack necessary equipment to facilitate the fight against crime.

Iteere singled out logistics and communication equipments as some of the areas he believed were in dire need of reforms.

"Of greater significance is the fact that the much anticipated police reforms especially the revamping of logistics and equipments including communication, mobility and fuel cannot be said to have taken off," he said.

The commissioner further noted that resources provided to the police have continued to dwindle over the years making the officers operate in hard conditions.

"Resources provided for prevention, detection and investigations have remained constant if not deteriorated. Police officers work under very difficult circumstances," he said.

Using jalopies

In Nairobi alone for instance, the police boss noted that four divisional CID offices do not have any vehicle at all, while others are using jalopies that more often hinder effective response to crime.

"In an ideal situation, every divisional CID office in Nairobi should be operating with at least four vehicles to handle response, investigations, follow-up and surveillance patrols effectively," he said.

Despite the state of affairs, Iteere said that in the last 10 months, incidents of crime have decreased in the country.

"There has been a significant decrease in all categories of crime in the country. The national crime trends decreased by five per cent or 3,293 cases as compared to the same period in 2009 where there were 57,827 cases of crime reported," he said.

In 2003, the Government was to purchase modern communication equipments and systems for the police.

However, the project was marred by a flawed tendering process and claims of corruption in what was part of the Anglo leasing scandal.