The country on Wednesday this week woke up to tragic news of a man who had killed a number of women, after luring them to his home located in Kicukiro District. By the time Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) apprehended him, as many as 10 women had lost their lives to the serial killer.

He had buried all his victims in his compound and efforts are ongoing to ascertain the exact number and identities of these innocent lives that were lost.

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In apprehending the suspect, RIB said they acted on information provided by the neighbours after realising something unusual about the man.

Although many have become victims of his actions, probably many others will be spared, courtesy of the vigilance of these neighbours.

In interviews with the media, neighbours said that although they had never been to his house, they were alarmed by a strong stench that came from their reclusive neighbour’s compound, which had persisted for days. Initially, they thought a rodent had died from there but then the smell could not go away, until they alerted the authorities.

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Although this is a commendable gesture, the first day they felt the stench should have been the day they alerted the authorities. Maybe one or two victims could have been rescued, who knows?

Community policing, as it is mostly referred to, is among the most effective methods to fight crime. It is where law enforcement officers and the communities they serve build relationships and every information given enough attention.

Increased crime prevention is achieved by educating people about crime and how to prevent it, ensures that they are less likely to be victims of it.

Alerting law enforcement when something looks fishy in the community, at the workplace, and other places where someone looks like they may be in danger or pose a danger to society should be a responsibility for everyone.

While the concept of community policing has over the years taken root in different parts of the country, such incidents should serve as a wakeup call for our security organs to step up awareness campaigns because, the security personnel cannot be everywhere. The community must be fully engaged.