KAMPALA – The head of the Anti-Corruption Court, Justice Lawrence Gidudu, has urged the police leadership to get rid of old officers, saying they cannot match the growing sophisticated ways of fighting crime.
Addressing Crime Intelligence Officers meeting drawn from all top Uganda security agencies on Tuesday, Justice Gidudu argued that many police officers are too old to use the evolving technology to maintain law and order.
“Police officers with no knowledge of science are a disaster to the force. Crimes like murder, robbery etc require science. Technology comes a cost. Police must be sufficiently funded and trained in use of the latest technology to fight crime,” he added.
According to Justice Gidudu, the new crime trends need detectives and police officers well vast with technology since criminals have become very creative and have mastered technological skills they use to commit crime.
He said that he is perturbed to see police and security officers confiscate computers, mobile phones among other gadgets of some suspects which he said won’t do much apart from getting memory chips that remain in Police custody.
Gidudu cautioned detectives to stop thinking that they investigate cases for citizens, saying they should know that whatever they are doing is done for themselves. He explained that corruption is rampant because investigators are also involved in corruption.
The judge also applauded Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) boss AIGP, Grace Akullo for organizing refresher courses for officers in intelligence and investigations units. Continuous training according to Gidudu is a pillar to successful investigations and vital in fighting corruption.
He further called for increased funding of Police to enhance their work with advanced technology.
Most of AIGPs have served UPF for over 30 years. Majority of them are in their mid-50s and 65 years of age. Last year, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni extended the contracts of 16 out of 19 seasonal AIGPs for two years, which will expire mid next year.
