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THIS week saw a high police presence on the streets of Bulawayo and with it loud complaints by some so-called human rights defenders that this amounted to intimidation. But how visible policing translates to intimidation probably only makes sense in their one track anti-establishment minds.

In contrast, we should all welcome visible policing because it allows residents to feel safe. Only the guilty feel uneasy in the presence of the police and we can only suspect that those against the high presence of law enforcement agents on our streets harbour sinister agendas.

Instead of complaining about a heavy police presence on our streets, people should instead be agitating for a stronger and more visible enforcement on a daily basis, not only when there are threats or rumours of civil disturbances.

Visible policing needs to be stepped up to make residents feel safe and also helps reduce crime, especially if it is done in partnership with residents.

Instead of decrying their heavy deployment, residents should be demanding a properly resourced police service that will make them feel safe and comfortable with reporting crimes.

Residents should also understand that the police are not enemies, but are there for their protection to ensure that they go about their daily business routinely without fear of falling prey to criminal and other non-law abiding elements. That people are not well informed about local policing is probably an issue the law enforcement needs to address through an assortment of community liaison efforts. The police must amplify their community engagement to make people fully aware of their operations so that their presence anywhere in our city is not questioned, but embraced.

Foot patrols by police ought to have a positive impact on public perceptions and only the police can make this work by initiating positive, informal contact with members of the public regularly.

That element of partnership between the police and residents needs to be strengthened to remove the existing walls of mistrust. This “us against them” mentality should be done away with for crime detection services to improve and residents not to harbour criminals. If this is addressed, there will be no more hiding places for criminals and other mischief makers.

We hope these highly visible police foot patrols are not a temporary measure, but that they become a permanent feature on our streets to ensure safe and peaceful communities. We also urge our policemen and women to be friendly and mingle and mix more with members of the public in the course of their duties so that people feel law enforcers are there for them and not against them.

We have commended the police for being proactive and responding to public complaints over the proliferation of roadblocks and the deployment of details on foot patrols shows seriousness on the part of the ZRP to combat crime. We urge the people of Bulawayo to give the police maximum cooperation as they carry out their duties so that crime levels are lowered. Criminality thrives when there is animosity between law enforcement agents and members of the public and it is in the spirit of community policing that we encourage a symbiotic relationship between residents of Bulawayo and the ZRP.

Police commanders need to maintain this kind of presence even when there are no threats to national security so that the police cultivate a bond with the people. We are glad that Bulawayo has not witnessed the kind of wanton destruction of property witnessed in Harare during violent demonstrations and that crime levels are generally low in the city compared ot other areas. We are sure this will be maintained.