Museveni to address Police Council for first time in history

President Museveni will tomorrow, Tuesday, grace the closing ceremony of the 25^th Police Council meeting sitting at the Police headquarters in Naguru.

The two day meeting was opened on Monday by the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola after a year without sitting and according to AIGP Asan Kasingye, the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, who is also the President of Uganda will address the meeting for the first time in history.

“We are so excited that the President is coming to address the Police Council,” Kasingye said.

The Police director said that the 25^th meeting will discuss the achievements since the previous meeting held in 2018 but also look at a number of other areas that need discussion.

Accommodation

The meeting according to AIGP Kasingye will discuss the issue of accommodation for police officers including water and electricity in barracks, a problem which has been rampant.

A number of police barracks have in the past few months been grappling with water and electricity after the introduction of the prepaid meter system for both the utilities.

A number of them have gone weeks without both power and water supply.

“We want to negate problems of our officers being in darkness and without water,”Kasingye said.

CCTV cameras

The 25^th edition of the Police Council meeting will also discuss the role played by the CCTV cameras in fighting crime and how to improve.

Following the recent spate of crimes in urban areas, President Museveni ordered for the installment of CCTV cameras along highways and towns in Kampala Metropolitan area.

A number of suspects have been arrested with the help of the CCTV cameras.

The Police Council will also receive reports from the Police Appeals Committee for the former to determine the fate of officers who have been handed punishments from the Police disciplinary court.

The contentious issue of the Police Exodus Sacco will also be discussed during the 25^th meeting of the Police Council that was opened on Monday.

The meeting will also discuss promotions, review police policies but also plan for the forthcoming general elections in 2021.

Police Council

According to Section 10 of the Police Act 1994, there shall be a Police Council with the Inspector General of Police as its chairperson.

The Police Council also consists of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, all directors, commandant of the mobile police patrol unit, Regional Police Commanders’ representatives, officers at the police headquarters responsible for operations, training, finance, personnel, legal affairs, community affairs and research and planning among others.

Other members to the Police Council are appointed by the IGP in consultation with the police unit commanders and these include an officer of the rank of assistant superintendent, an officer of the rank of inspector, three noncommissioned officers and the officer responsible for the administration of the force who shall be the secretary.

Functions

According to article 11 of the Police Act 1994, the Police Council is responsible for recruitment, appointment and promotion of police officers up to the rank of inspector of police.

The Police Council is also responsible for exercising disciplinary control over all police officers through the police courts, advise the police authority on the ranks structure in the force, formulate terms and conditions of service of members of the force subject to approval by the police authority, formulate and establish standards of recruitment and training within the force and to determine the types and quality of equipment and supplies to be procured by the force.

The Police Council is also responsible for formulating and advising the police authority on the policies of the force and ensure their implementation of that policy among other key functions.

The council last sat two years ago and this necessitated swearing in of new members who have joined the force or the Council in that period.