The string of armed robberies in various locations within the Greater Banjul Area has been dominating news headlines in the recent past. The news has threatened the lives and properties in the country, but at the same time renewed people’s trust in the country’s security forces.
The professionalism exhibited and apprehending the suspects in real time, has been exemplary. This, we believe is a clear sign to all would-be criminals that the Gambia is now a ‘no-go-area’ for criminals. In this light, would be criminals need to think twice before embarking on any dangerous venture.
Though these armed robberies were well planned, our gallant men and women were able to apprehend them from their various hideouts far and wide. The criminal downplayed the strength and capability of our security forces, thus threatening citizens, using force to extort monies from people. Suffice it to state here that in this day and age especially with the advent of tech and innovation, to dupe people more so trained security personnel, will be a risky venture.
People should stop putting blame on the police. The manner and style in which these robberies operate is well calculated. Even in the most advanced world, armed robbers sometimes ‘get away’ with colossal sums of monies without trace. But the aftermath is also critical with investigations to get to the bottom of the case.
And in this case, though the armed robbers did what they planned to do, they were arrested and significant amount of monies recovered from them, alongside weapons and other important leads. We believe the Gambia Police Force and all the other sister forces in the country should be commended for their bravery and sense of professionalism. This is what patriotism calls for, serving your nation when duty calls. The whole country is proud of you.
However, this past string of armed robberies in the country especially in the Greater Banjul Area is also a wake-up call for all business to install security cameras in their business outlets. This is in view of the fact that sometimes these kinds of attacks may occur while the security forces are not there. But with security cameras in place, it will help them in their investigation to get to the bottom of the case.
Also, there is need to encourage community policing in curbing some of these cases before they occur. In fact, community taking ownership in securing their communities used to be very helpful in minimising crime in the country. However, from the look of things, it appears to be dwindling due to one reason or the other.
Another important issue is timely reporting of strange occurrences in our communities. This will greatly help in addressing crime well before it occurs. Together, we can make this country safe for all of us.
