Rwanda National Police

Members of Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing (RYVCP) in Huye District have been reminded to strengthen their activities in raising awareness, fighting and preventing lawlessness.

The call was made by the Southern Region Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Innocent Kanyamihigo during the meeting with about 200 coordinators and representatives of youth volunteers in the district, held on Monday, November 2, in Ngoma Sector.

The meeting was also attended by the vice mayor in charge of economic development, in Huye district, Andre Kamana, and the district coordinator of youth volunteers, Emmanuel Musangwamfura.

CSP Kanyamihigo dwelt much on crime prevention, patriotism, sharing information, fighting corruption and bribery in particular and the Rwandan values.

He thanked the youth for their patriotic work of community policing and urged them to enhance the spirit to prevent crimes through timely information sharing.

“You live in communities where these crimes happen; we believe you can continue to create change and to be the eyes and ears of safety in your respective communities by reporting anything and anyone that you suspect to be engaged in unlawful acts and affecting the overall wellbeing of the people,” CSP Kanyamihigo said.

He outlined family conflicts and gender based violence, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, illegal mineral trade and mining as some of the common criminal activities in the district and the region in general, which should be given emphasis.

The RPC reminded the youth that patriotism goes with fighting and preventing anything that can affect the peace and security of the people as well as reporting anyone, who might try to drive them astray in unlawful and criminal acts.

“There are people, who are taking advantage of social media platforms to spread rumours with intent to mislead people especially young people. Give no ear to such and if you suspect someone to be engaged in these criminal tendencies always be quick to report them,” CSP Kanyamihigo said. 

The vice Mayor Andre Kamana urged the youth to form or join cooperatives to develop themselves.

“Strive to be better people, to improve your wellbeing, to create jobs and cooperatives is one of the best ways to ensure that and to get immediate support,” Kamana told the youth.

The youth volunteers were also thanked for their role in supplementing national efforts against COVID-19 spread.

Youth volunteers played the central community policing part in supplementing national efforts through awareness, re-organising people in bus terminals and stations, markets, trading centres to ensure social distancing, washing hands and wearing face mask.

The district youth coordinator, Emmanuel Musangwamfura pledged the youths’ continued participation and ownership of community policing and development programmes.

There are over 300,000 members of youth volunteers in community policing countrywide, with over 5,000 of them in Huye District.