Violence fuels fear, undermines public trust – Marathe warns

The rising levels of violent crime and the growing brutality behind it are casting a shadow over public safety in Botswana, with police warning that fear is steadily eroding community trust and confidence in law enforcement. These were sobering words of Police Commissioner, Dinah Marathe at the just-ended three-day Annual Senior Officers Conference held at the Botswana Police College in Otse. Marathe cautioned that while Botswana continues to rank among the more peaceful nations globally, the nature of crime is becoming increasingly brutal and complex, driven largely by Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and drug abuse.

She said the growing intensity of violence threatens to erode public confidence in policing, despite notable progress in reducing certain categories of crime. The annual conference, which attracted close to 300 commanders from various divisions, branches, units, districts and stations, serves as a strategic platform to review and align policing approaches with emerging security challenges. Key issues under discussion included customer expectations, evolving crime trends, police response mechanisms, staff morale, litigation against the police, and public feedback.

She said the Botswana Police Service (BPS) is focused on delivering a more responsive, effective and accountable policing model that earns public trust. “I assure you that we will use this Conference as a platform to devise innovative approaches and interventions to address these challenges,” she said, adding that restoring public confidence remains central to their mission. Presenting the 2025 crime statistics, Marathe revealed that overall reported crime increased by six percent compared to 2024.

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She disclosed that while Penal Code offences declined slightly by one percent, offences under other statutes rose significantly by 25 %, largely attributed to proactive police operations. Encouragingly, she said violent and serious crimes recorded a six percent reduction. “These include offences such as murder, rape, robbery, stock theft and vehicle theft.

However, defilement and motor vehicle theft registered increases, raising concern within law enforcement,” he said. Despite the decline, Marathe warned that the brutality associated with the crimes remains deeply troubling and continues to instill fear among citizens. To counter emerging threats, she said the police service is strengthening community policing initiatives while embracing technology-driven solutions such as smart policing systems, drones and the Safer City project.

Marathe stated that these interventions are aimed at improving crime detection, prevention and response. She further highlighted ongoing reforms within the police service, including intelligence-led policing, digital transformation, and victim-centred approaches, all designed to enhance operational efficiency and public confidence. On road safety, Marathe reported a positive trend, with road fatalities decreasing by 5.2 percent from 346 in 2024 to 328 in 2025.

However, she said traffic violations saw a slight increase, with human error identified as the leading cause of accidents. She also updated the conference on key developments within the service, including the pending Police Act Amendment Bill, the near completion of the absorption of Special Constables, and infrastructure projects such as new police stations, the Forensic Science Laboratory, and the expansion of the Safer City initiative in Gaborone and Francistown.

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