Community Policing Launched in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid District

Residents of Yaqshid district have welcomed the partnership between the Somali Police Force (SPF) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) aimed at enhancing security in the capital Mogadishu. The residents said the partnership had also helped curb crime incidents in the city.

Speaking at a town hall meeting he hosted to discuss means of sharing information between SPF and AMISOM police officers the Yaqshid District Commissioner Osman Adawe said information sharing would make security in the city better.

Adawe who was launching the newly launched hotline number 888 urged the local residents to work closely with the Somali police and AMISOM to improve levels of security.

“It Is very important to make awareness about community policing for the people of Yaqshid, and we learnt from them how the security agencies, the police and the community collaborate closely, the district is quite peaceful of late and we appreciate to have community policing because it simplifies the security issues and we encourage the members of the community to take part in this collaboration,” said the Yaqshid District Commissioner.

The meeting attracted hundreds of Yaqshid district residents mainly women and youth. It was also attended Adawe’s deputy on Security and Political Affairs Shukri Hussein Osoble.

ASP Randolph Sumiah of AMISOM Police stressed to Yaqshid residents the community policing drive which has been on-going is already bearing fruit-facilitating the work of the police in ensuring law and order.

“It is only when people give information to the police that they can be effective, otherwise, the police alone cannot do the work if people are not giving them any information. We continue to sensitize them that the police officers are not magicians, they cannot know where and when crimes are being committed unless the community members tell them before they can take action,” said ASP Sumiah.

Sumiah noted that AMISOM police unit will continue to sensitize them on the role of police officers and the need for Mogadishu residents to share information on criminal activities in their localities.

Yaqshid is one of the biggest districts in the city of Mogadishu.