INVESTIGATIONS into thousands of criminal cases at Windhoek’s main police stations have ground to a standstill, while others are moving at snail’s pace, because only three vehicles are operational in an area with more than 200 000 inhabitants. One of the excuses given by the National Police Headquarters for the long-running transport problem is that the police force does not have a policy for replacing vehicles in its aging fleet. The three police stations whose CID sections are worst affected are: Windhoek Central Police, which also covers farms in the Windhoek District; the CID section at Katutura Police Station, where over 20 investigators have to share a single vehicle; and the CID at Wanaheda Police. Police investigators, as a direct consequence of limited mobility, have to walk if the crime scenes are nearby. If crime occurs in distant areas, police reaction can be delayed for several hours, if not days, said one detective. – Chrispin Inambao, The Namibian
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