Botswana: The United States Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer, Ms Alissa Bellot, paid a courtesy call to the Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Phemelo Ramakorwane, at Police Headquarters yesterday (06/12/2022).
When welcoming Ms Bellot, the Acting Commissioner said Botswana and the United States of America (USA) continue to enjoy cordial relations that have resulted in the capacity building initiatives for members of the Botswana Police Service (BPS).
He said the USA had assisted the BPS in specialised areas such as Cybercrime investigation, Human Trafficking, Goods Smuggling, Fraudulent documents, and Countering Violent Extremism, amongst others.
He went on to appreciate the extension of the Peace Corps Volunteer programme to Botswana and assured her of their safety and security whilst serving this country.
Mr Ramakorwane said Botswana continues to enjoy relative peace and security. He, however, noted concerns regarding some crimes such as robberies, cash-in-transit heists and Gender Based Violence (GBV).
In this regard, the Acting Commissioner stated that BPS had strengthened its crime counter strategies by, amongst others, enhancing police visibility, stakeholder engagement and public education, with a view to ensuring the effective tackling of these emerging crimes.
Mr Ramakorwane further said that road accidents and fatalities are a notable concern which is mostly caused by driver behaviour. This, he said, calls for road users to take it upon themselves to introspect their driving behaviours.
He said the Organisation saw it befitting to establish a Gender and Child Protection Branch so as to provide a comprehensive support system such as counselling services and effective handling of women and children crimes.
Ms Bellot visited Botswana, too, amongst others, to appreciate the crime situation and also to understand how the Organisation handles incidents such as GBV and Road accidents.
The Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer, who is based in Pretoria, South Africa, was accompanied by Safety and Security Manager Mr Goabaone Pono and his Assistant Ms Lobisa Ruele, both based in Botswana.
