By Tabora Bojang
German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) is conducting a three-week capacity building courses for forensic investigators of The Gambia Police Force on crime scene investigation, forensic imaging and sexual and gender-based violence.
The training was organised as part of a police support project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office aimed at strengthening police reform processes in The Gambia.
It aims to improve the human resources management, infrastructure, equipment, trainings public relations strategies and developing standard procedures among others to enhance police responsiveness to citizens’ needs and accountability.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police Momodou Sowe, who represented the Inspector General of the Police, described the training as a timely intervention as the world grapples with rising criminality with the use of new technologies.
“We are in the 21st Century and the operation of criminals has now been sophisticated and they always try to hide their pattern. So it is important that police officers continuously build their capacities to meet the changing trend of crime,” DIGP Sowe said.
He hailed GIZ and the German Federal Foreign Office for their foresight to partner the Gambia Police Force in rolling out several training courses geared towards improving police service delivery and commitment to its core mandates to prevent, investigate, detect and solve crimes.
Verena Braren, a political attache at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Liaison Office in The Gambia, said she is optimistic that the training will undoubtedly enhance the crime-solving capacities of the Gambian police officers.
“As residents of The Gambia it is reassuring to know that our police officers will protect us from crime, and when prevention fails, they will track down the perpetrators using the modern forensic investigation tools and techniques that will be given to them at these trainings,” she stated.
