Mangochi police station has registered 11 percent increase in crime management and 29 percent decrease in traffic management in the just ended year, 2019.
According to 2019 annual report compiled by Station Research and Planning Officer Sub inspector Lesten Chimimba 2,017 criminal cases were registered compared to 1,812 cases registered in 2018 depicting 11 percent increase whilst 159 road accidents were registered compared to 223 road accidents registered in 2018 depicting 29 percent decrease.
According to Mangochi police public relations officer Rodrick Maida, in crime management, out of nine different cases registered in 2019 six registered an increase whilst the remaining three registered a decrease compared to same cases registered in 2018.
“11 murder cases were registered in 2019 compared to 5 cases registered in 2018 depicting 120 percent increase. 10 rape cases were registered in 2019 compared to 5 cases registered in 2018 depicting 100 percent increase. 66 robbery cases were registered in 2019 compared to 47 cases registered in 2018 depicting 40 percent increase,”
“24 theft by servant cases were registered in 2019 compared to 22 cases registered in 2018 depicting 9 percent increase, 96 theft of bicycle cases were registered in 2019 compared to 89 cases registered in 2018 depicting 8 percebt increase and 322 breaking offences were registered in 2019 compared to 309 cases registered in 2018 depicting 4 percent increase,” said Maida.
He added that no armed robbery case was registered in 2019 compared to 2 cases registered in 2018 depicting 100 percent decrease.
“18 theft of livestock cases were registered in 2019 compared to 33 cases registered in 2018 depicting 45 percent decrease and finally 30 defilement cases were registered in 2019 compared to 45 cases registered in 2018 depicting 33 percent decrease,” he said.
Maida said among other contributing factors to the increase of crimes in the district include bad behaviour of communities of taking the laws into their own hands, unplanned migration of people from neighbouring districts and luck of parental care of children.
In traffic management Maida said 57 fatal road accidents were registered in 2019 compared to 31 registered in 2018 depicting 104 percent increase whilst 44 serious road accidents were registered in 2019 compared to 28 registered in 2018 depicting 57 percent increase.
“In regards to these fatal road accidents 62 lives were lost in which 25 were pedestrians, 21 were pedal cyclists, 8 were passengers, 5 were motor cyclists whilst 3 were drivers,”
“Some contributing factors are use of unroad worthy vehicles, lack of knowledge of highway code and public resistance to abide by road traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
Meanwhile police in the district is promising the communities that it will engage an extra gear in delivering services in the year 2020 to make sure that peace prevails in the tourism district.
