RESEARCHERS have shown that up until the mid-1990s there was very little evidence that increasing the number of police officers might result in a reduction in crime or that reducing the number of officers might lead to an increase in crime.
However, more recent studies, using more robust methodologies, have suggested that there is indeed a link between the two.
Most of these recent studies converge on two key findings being that the higher levels of police are linked to lower levels of property crime.
Evidence for an association between police numbers and violent crime is weaker.
A summary of existing studies would put the elasticity of property crime in relation to police numbers at approximately -0.3 – that is, a 10 per cent increase in officers will lead to a reduction in crime of around three per cent and vice versa.
Against a background of increasing reports of violent and property crime, Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila notes that increasing police presence is the solution to curbing criminal activities around the country.
In the Zambian context, the presence of a Police officer at any corner instils in members of the public an unwritten rule of abiding to the law.
This alone has helped to unite society and keep crime at bay by all means possible.
The emergency plan to recruit around 1,600 police officers this year is a vital step to curb criminal activities around the country.
The targeted recruitment will marshal order in a country with a population of around 13 million people as per last census.
On face-value, increasing staffing levels in the Zambia Police Service is a necessary step and should be supported as mentioned by Mr Mwila, who intends to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to support this move to increase the numbers from the already permitted recruitment of 500 officers.
The Government has given a go-ahead to recruit the 500 officers.
From the 500, Mr Mwila said this translates in deploying 50 officers in each province to maintain law and order.
Additionally how and when officers are deployed is as important as how many are employed, hence it is vital that organisational leaders constantly analyse trends in activity and strategically focus officer’s deployment to address problems.
The urgent issue needing to be addressed timely is that crime exists and it will continue to exist and having police presence is the nearest remedy.
Time and again, Police personnel have had to be ferried from different locations to quell a situation that threatens public order such as rioting.
Election time has been another segment in the country’s history that has signaled the need to deploy more officers in an event of violence between individuals from different political parties.
Despite various hurdles limiting efficient handling of crime, such as transport, which by any measure has improved over the years, it is also prudent that those charged with the duty to maintain law and order to not fall prey to unprofessional policing such as engaging in criminal activity themselves.
This is not a far-fetched opinion or argument as this has been seen to be happening in some cases and often the Police top brass has been urged to root out corrupt officers from their ranks.
So the recruitment exercise should only appear to be a recipe for increased order but those being engaged to protect society should be citizens of integrity and willingness to provide professional service and befitting conduct.
Increasing police presence in the 10 provinces is a timely intervention which will not work today but it is an investment – costly as it may seem for now – that will benefit the country in future but it ensures that a precedence of increasing the recruitment scale is maintained.  OPINION