Police in anti drugs drive in schools
Posted on March 13, 2013 by admin in English, Ibikorwa
Students of Glory Secondary School during anti-drugs lecture
Rwanda National Police has kick-started started a five-day awareness campaign against drug abuse in secondary schools.
The drug abusing is reported to be high among the youth in the country.
According to Superintendent Sam Rumanzi, the Director of Community Policing, the move is aimed at enhancing the existing partnership with anti-crime clubs in secondary schools and to equip them with more skills and knowledge in the quest against the sell and consumption of narcotics and illicit brew.
“It is through such partnership that we have been able to seize big quantities of cannabis and illicit brew, and many dealers apprehended based on the information provided; it is imperative, therefore, to meet them, guide and remind them of their responsibilities as partners in crime prevention” said Rumanzi.
Drug abuse has been topping the crime list in the country in the past years, majority abusers being the youth.
Statistics show that 2, 477 out of 3132 people arrested last year in connection with drug related crimes, are youth between 18 and 35 years of age. 99 others were aged below 18 years.
Drugs such as cannabis and illicit liquor (kanyanga) are sneaked into the country from the neighbouring countries through illegal borders.
About 100 out of 504 schools with anti-crime clubs in the country will be visited in the course of the week.
Rumanzi explained that some of the schools to be visited were selected based on information of their vulnerability while others are those whose members were not sensitized during the previous campaigns.
