Police in West Nile has embarked on recruiting students to act as crime preventers in their school in the wake increased student strikes in the region. On Wednesday, the first batch of 169 students and two teachers trained as crime preventers were passed out and deployed in their schools. The group comprised of students from Arua Town College and Nile International School, a private vocational institution.
The crime preventers were taken through topics such as community policing, patriotism, child rights and responsibilities as well as criminal interrogation. Josephine Angucia, the Northwestern regional police spokesperson explains that they decided to train the students so that they can work with police in case there are problems in their schools. She says that the idea was mooted following a meeting between Police, school administrators and students following the high rate of student strikes in the region.
She says that once the initiative succeeds in West Nile it will be used a model for schools in other regions. At least 15 strikes have been recorded in West Nile region since the beginning of this year, leading to closure of four schools. Yumbe secondary school was closed this week, because of a violent students strike. Angucia advises students to stick to their studies and desist from getting involvement violent strike, which could ruin their future.
Emmanuel Ogwang, the coordinator of the prime preventers says they willingly accepted to be trained because they are tired of seeing strikes in their schools. Ogwang reminisces that he was suspended from school in his senior five for his involvement in a strike, which made him fail his examinations. He says that training will not only help him at school, but promises to use the skills while back home to prevent crimes in his community.
