Police officers trained to fight pornography

The Japan International Cooperation Agency(PCC) has trained over 200 police officers in the Kampala Metropolitan area since the start of the year 2021, the force said on Wednesday.

The PCC is comprised of officials from various key government departments including but not limited to the following; Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the Creative Arts Industry and representatives from the cultural Institutions in Uganda.

According to the force, the PCC has systematically carried out sensitisation and awareness programs on the Anti-Pornography Act, 2014 using various community-based initiatives as well as media programmes.

However, police said that the team found it appropriate to give strategic and focused training to police officers.

"We started with the following areas; Mukono and Naggalama, Kira Road, CID Headquarters Kibuli and Kampala North based at Kawempe plus officers from Savanah region, in Luwero ditrict,"the force said in a statement.

In total, over 200 police officers received this training and pledged to be ambassadors in the fight against the vice.

They were armed with the contents of the law, supplied with copies of the Ant-Pornography Act 2014, and mobilised to fight pornography with the same zeal they apply fighting against other crimes.

It was noted that many people naively watch pornography thinking that it is an act of passing time, or, an avenue that will help them to improve their sex life yet it cripples it as it is addictive, depressing, destructive, and deadly most of the time.

Pornography as a crime entails the production of pornographic materials, trafficking in the same, publishing and broadcasting such materials and procuring them, exporting and importing, selling and abetting.

Police officers appreciated the contents of the Anti-Pornography Act 2014 and vowed to aggressively support the fight against the crime that is right amidst us all.

"Families and communities are faced with many crimes and rarely do we connect the dots to find the role pornography is playing in this. The heart and soul of any nation must never be destroyed by challenges we have come to know their grave effects like pornography," said Dr. Annette Kezaabu, chairperson to the Pornography Control Committee (PCC).

The Uganda Police was represented by Emilian Kayima, who is a member of the Multi-Sectoral Task Team, linking police to the PCC and their operations.