Stop-and-search patrol bears fruit

POLICE in Bulawayo have launched a number of crime-curbing initiatives that have started to bear fruit, with community engagement strategies paying off.

After a rise in criminal activities in the city, police upped their game to bring safety and peace into communities.

Criminal gangs had been on the rampage, with the criminal activities reaching a crescendo last week as a gang randomly went in and around Mabutweni suburb axing up to a dozen people, resulting in two fatalities.

Police responded by instituting stop-and-search points in the city to deter criminal activities and also moved to shut down bars that have been operating in violation of Covid-19 regulations.

There have since been deployments to western suburbs to deal with illegal fuel dealers and other criminal activities.

Night patrols have been launched in suburbs such as Khumalo and Parklands suburbs.

The increased police deployments and community engagements have resulted in the arrest of three suspects who are part of a gang of armed robbers who axed two people in Mabutweni suburb last week.

The three suspects, together with other gang members who are on the run, allegedly went on a rampage and axed everyone they met on their way in Mabutweni suburb.

Kholisani Nyathi (27) of Mabutweni Suburb, Nkosikhona Sibanda of Lobengula West (25) and Walter Mpunzi (27) of Lobengula West who were arrested following a tip-off from the members of the public are also facing several counts of theft of car parts committed in 2020 and 2021. – Chronicle