By Amvesi Cohen
ARUA
Police have tipped a total of 260 headteachers in the West Nile region on measures to ensure safety of learners in their schools.
This was during a regional sensitization dialogue organized at Muni University by DBZ Events Facility Limited in partnership with Uganda Police Force and other Stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and Sports on Thursday June 27, 2024.
The dialogue brought together secondary and primary school headteachers from the different districts in the greater West Nile region with the sole objective of ensuring a secure learning environment in schools.
During the dialogue, headteachers were tipped on security in schools and personal security, crime prevention and detection, building and strengthening good working relationships with law enforcement teams, conflict resolution and management, mind set change, leadership and management in the 21st Century among others.
In his remarks, CP Edgar Nyabongo, the Chief Political Commissar (CPC) of Uganda Police Force highlighted some of the causes of crimes in school as moral decadence, weak school rules, ignorance, negative peer influence, poor or weak administration, cultural diversity, weak security system in schools, poor welfare in school, limited supply of school resources and facilities, wide gap between the students and the school administration, incompetent staff, imported effects of domestic violence, poor upbringing, drugs and alcohol abuse, poor approach to problems, and lack of psycho-social support.
He further pointed out poor performance, increased school dropouts, suffering and pain in case of violent crimes as some of the effects of insecurity in schools which later causes economic loss to the school and students in terms of property and cost of managing insecurity, undermines self-esteem thus causing further crimes.
On crime prevention, he said that all stakeholders have roles to play in ensuring safety in schools, and that this calls for a stronger partnership and commitment among all.
Meanwhile, ACP Eddie Sserunjogi, the Regional Police Commander (RPC) West Nile Region, made a keynote address on building and strengthening good working relationships with the law enforcement team to enhance service delivery.
He explained the importance of building good working relationships with police, and further asked the headteachers to have good relations with police.
“These include improving and increasing communication with police by having contacts of the area commanders like OC Stations and District Police Commanders,” Sserunjogi said.
The RPC encouraged the headteachers to interest themselves in understanding police challenges and explain the same to their students as well as knowing their rights, responsibilities and police actions like arrests.
He urged participants to know that police actions are guided by laws established in the constitution not by sentiments and advised them to guide those under their leadership well, as well as know and understand police communication lines, structures and protocols so as to know whom to call in case of incidents.
Sserunjogi guided that it’s the responsibility of everyone to understand the laws, lawful procedures and regulations in the country in order to match well with police, and should first understand police actions before rushing to blame.
He informed the headteachers that security starts with each one of them and each one should take deliberate actions to ensure safety anywhere at all times.
During the introductory remarks, the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, SSP Angucia Josephine and the Regional Community Liaison Officer, SP Asea Collins confirmed violent attacks amongst some schools especially during games and sports competitions, as well as violent strikes by students in some schools, all of which affect safety in schools, and so they encouraged collective responsibilities by all in curbing insecurity within and amongst schools.
The Headteachers who visibly appreciated the presentations promised to implement those safety tips, and they agreed to work with police in preventing and managing crime. They asked many questions on security, police duties and procedures, which were appropriately answered by the facilitators.
The National Schools Events Coordinator, Akena Sheila was however, tasked to organize more of such programs for individual schools through their umbrella DBZ Events Facility Limited to ensure safety and curb down crime in schools.
