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The model addresses the historical concentration of policing services in urban centers, which left rural areas vulnerable to crime
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By Our Reporter
Kampala - In a significant move to strengthen community policing and national security, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) today launched the Sub-County Policing Model (SCPM). This innovative initiative aims to ensure safer neighborhoods through proactive policing, improved police-community trust, faster crime reporting and response, and better resource distribution at the grassroots level.
The SCPM, which aligns with the broader goals of Uganda’s national security policies, has already taken shape with the reorganization and rationalization of existing Uganda Police Force (UPF) resources. So far, eight regions, 49 districts, and 591 sub-counties have been covered under the program. The model addresses the historical concentration of policing services in urban centers, which left rural areas vulnerable to crime. With the establishment of anti-crime infrastructure like CCTV in cities, criminals have increasingly shifted to rural and peri-urban areas, disrupting livelihoods and hindering government programs such as PDM, EMYOOGA, and Operation Wealth Creation.
A new approach to policing
The Sub-County Policing Model entails the deployment of 18 personnel per sub-county, municipal, or town council, including an Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the station, 12 general duty police officers for patrols, and specialized units such as the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Crime Intelligence (CI), Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU), and Community Liaison Officers (CLO). Each station will also be equipped with three motorcycles, four portable radios, one VHF base radio, and one counter telephone to enhance operational efficiency.
The initiative stems from the strategic guidance of H.E. President Yoweri Museveni, who emphasized the need for a decentralized policing approach during the 25th Annual Police Council meeting in November 2019. In his Executive Order No. 03 of 2023, the President directed that “The country Police must stop being a Kampala Police and become a Uganda Police as it was planned to be,” urging the transformation of every sub-county, municipal, and town council into a fully functional police station.
The IGP expressed confidence that the SCPM will not only improve security but also foster stronger collaboration between the police and communities, ensuring a safer and more secure Uganda for all.
Torch Media Africa
