Large police stations could give way to smaller, more accessible outposts staffed with officers on ATVs and bikes, under plans being considered by the Government to embed security systems directly within rapidly expanding communities.
President Dr Irfaan Ali outlined the proposal while addressing residents of Leonora during the launch of the Model Village initiative. The shift toward community-focused policing, he said, will be built on accessibility, proximity and faster response times.
President Dr Irfaan Ali said as communities grow denser and more multifaceted through housing development and economic activity, policing must evolve alongside them.
“Here is where we want to expand the Safe Country programme in the communities, because the communities are becoming so dense and so populated and multifaceted that we have to now place a security system in the communities themselves,” he said.
“You’ll see, instead of large police station buildings, now, we’ll have the more containerised offices and outposts with more of the ATVs and bikes to get them to move faster,” he said.
He said the change would allow law enforcement officers to respond more efficiently, particularly in communities where rapid expansion has created new challenges, and that security infrastructure must be developed alongside housing, roads and other public services.
The initiative forms part of the Government’s wider Model Village framework, which focuses on improving connectivity, community development, commerce and care within villages.
