By Ijoo Bosco
Head chiefs of Pogee, Owiny Ki Bul, Agoro, and Omeo Payam are calling on the Police Department to deploy officers in their areas to maintain law and order.
This request comes in response to the community’s reliance on youths to apprehend suspects, who are then taken to the Magwi County headquarters for processing.
Pogee Head Chief Mr. Peter Okot Marcelo explained that they were previously instructed to register community police; however, those registered were not empowered to work effectively.
Currently, the community has only one individual assisting them in apprehending suspected criminals, and this person is unable to record cases in writing.
Chief Okot emphasized the importance of having literate police officers who can document incidents and promote law and order within the community.
He also noted that the population of Pogee is rapidly increasing, necessitating the establishment of more Bomas to facilitate governance and security efforts.
“The population of Pogee is growing daily due to the voluntary return of people; thus, there is an urgent need to increase police presence to maintain law and order. Otherwise, the number of criminals could rise, threatening the peace that the locals currently enjoy,” said Okot.
For his part, Mr. Oyet Joseph Charles, head chief of Owiny Ki Bul, expressed that without the efforts of the youths in his area to arrest wrongdoers, the situation could worsen.
He revealed that he had registered several youths for police training when recruitment was announced, but they often receive information too late from authorities about when these groups are needed.
“It’s challenging to mobilize individual youths on short notice, especially since some may be engaged in gardening and cannot respond promptly. Others may receive the information only after the rest have already left,” Oyet stated.
“Our major problem here is communication and coordination with the county authorities. We often receive information late, such as about mobilizing youths for police training in Torit, which we learned about two weeks after the training had begun. We really need police manpower in our areas to strengthen law and order,” Oyet Joseph added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Okot Sonic Romeo, head chief of Agoro, disclosed that even without a locally stationed police force, community leaders are willing to provide detention facilities to assist the police.
Okeny Gabriel Jino stated that they often do not receive updates from their Payam because whenever a suspect is arrested, they are transported to Magwi for investigation and court hearings.
The four chiefs collectively expressed that the demand for police presence in their areas is urgent and requires a prompt response. They made these remarks during a chiefs’ meeting held on Friday in Magwi centre, which was supported by the state local government in Eastern Equatoria.