UK donates Rwf20.8m intelligence kits to police

GASABO - The British government has donated high-tech intelligence kits worth Rwf20.8million to facilitate Rwanda National Police do investigation work effectively.

Thursday, March 05, 2009
Trainees pose with trainers.

GASABO - The British government has donated high-tech intelligence kits worth Rwf20.8million to facilitate Rwanda National Police do investigation work effectively.

The kits were handed over by the British Embassy officials to the police on Tuesday at Police headquarters in a ceremony to mark the end of a one-month training for police detectives on sustainable intelligence.

The whole programme that saw over 30 detectives trained was fully sponsored by British government.

According to Robert Kamurasi, the project coordinator from the British Embassy, the training and equipment cost about 45,000 pounds (equivalent to over Rwf35.8m) elsewhere but it was free of charge through embassy. High-tech equipment is expected to be distributed to all district police offices in the country.

"The equipment will help in gathering information and store it safely. Actually, it will help in boosting community policing,” the acting Commissioner General of police Mary Gahonzire said in an interview.

Community policing is vital to public safety, and is one of the services in the police which contributes to improving public safety. She said British government support was in the framework of the two countries’ bi-lateral relationships.

The police boss added that the force intends to create a data base of crimes and all people involved. One of the detectives who received the training, Chief Inspector of police Abel Ndungutse, said such training has helped them on how best they can analyse and give proper information to decision makers for appropriate action. 

Ndungutse added that the detectives had learnt how to use technology in investigations.

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