THE continued attacks of innocent people by criminals in Lusaka are appalling and should be stopped by the police forthwith!
It is an open secret that for a long time now, residents of Lusaka have complained of being attacked by criminals who have turned foot and fly over bridges into hideouts to engineer various crimes.
If only the Government could have known that the foot bridges on Kafue road and the fly over bridges on Church and Great East Roads would be dens for muggers, probably permanent police posts could have been built beside them.
A stroll on the fly over bridges on these spots comes with great risks of someone’s life especially after 18:00 hours when the frequency of people walking along the road reduces.
Apparently, one cannot be guaranteed safety and many people have been attacked and robbed of their belongings as criminals enjoy unhindered freedom to perpetrate their evil activities.
The recent attack of our own reporter James Kunda further confirms that there is little or no effort by the police to address the problem.
While we sympathise with the police on the over-stretched manpower, we share the concerns with some Lusaka residents who feel that nothing much has been done by the men in uniform.
While such attacks by criminals have been in the news for a long time, it is difficult to point at a single effort by the police that has netted desired results.
Of course the general patrols by the men and women in uniform are proving to be nothing but an exercise in futility.
We are aware that it is absolutely not possible to eliminate crime–especially in a city as big as Lusaka.
But it is possible to reduce it, especially when hotspots are identified.
For instance, frequent raids, not patrols, in these places could surely send shivers to those that have turned them into hideouts.
It is gratifying to note that assistant police spokesperson Esther Katongo admits that the police officers are fully aware about these hotspots.
But why has it taken  so long to address the problem?
As stated earlier, while one should sympathise with the police on lack of adequate manpower, there is every reason to suggest that a lot more should be done by the police to ensure that people enjoy their freedom.
Knowing that the trend of attacks has persisted, it is probably time for the law enforcement agency to review its strategy and employ more combative way of addressing the problem.
The crime hotspots are well known.
Therefore, this should act as the starting point for the law enforcement agency to employ necessary measures that would guarantee the movement of people in the capital city.
In this regard, it is hoped that the men and women in uniform will show a lot more effort in tackling the perpetrators of these attacks – even stationing officers in these areas if need be.
We cannot have people attacked in the middle of the city with impunity; it is time that perpetrators are brought to book. But this can only be done if there is a serious commitment and renewed vigour.
We hope the same zeal and commitment that has been demonstrated in enforcing road traffic rules where officers have been stationed in strategic streets to pounce on careless drivers would be replicated in stopping crime in the capital city.