Campus safety in the spotlight
Members of the Windhoek City Police, the University of Namibia (UNAM) security team and the Student Representative Council (SRC) recently met to discuss possible measures to improve student safety around campus.This engagement follows an increase in criminal activities along Hendrik Witbooi Drive and the intersection leading to the university’s secondary gate, and the Emona hostel – a route students often use to get to the Baines shopping centre.
According to UNAM’s security team, these robberies peaked in May this year, which compelled immediate engagement with stakeholders to ensure students’ safety outside of the university premises.
During the engagement, Senior Superintendent at the City of Windhoek Police Maria Muyoba stated that crime prevention is a community effort that requires everyone’s input. “Even though it is the police’s responsibility to keep everyone safe, the police cannot do it alone – we need to form a partnership with students and UNAM to close the gaps that criminals use in this area,” she said.
Speeding things up
Forging such partnerships will speed up crime prevention measures, remarked Cillie Kapolo, Superintendent at the City Police. Kapolo also suggested that the SRC initiate a student safety programme that the police and UNAM security can support.
“We need to initiate a ‘student against crime’ committee that will serve as a channel to listen to the safety issues of students and relay information to students about crime trends in the area,” Kapolo said.
“Through this platform, we can directly provide contact details of the commander on shift for students to contact, should they feel in danger. This will cut down on delays caused by contacting the call centre first,” Kapolo added.
Safety resolutions from the meeting include intensifying patrols along the Hendrik Witbooi Drive; initiating police sunrise operations; debushing the area; creating communication groups; and a safety campaign.
Immanuel Simao, SRC for Internal Affairs, is committed to taking up initiatives to sensitise students about safety measures on and off-campus. “On behalf of the student council, we are committed to playing our part in sensitising students,” he said while urging UNAM’s security team and the City Police to ensure their presence is felt, even though crime prevention is a collective effort.