Police Flying Squad unit returns

Police have announced the return of the Flying Squad, violent crime crack unit that was recently moved to the Crime Intelligence Directorate.

According to the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, after a three months refresher training course , all the Flying Squad unit operatives have been redeployed.

“The unit is back after undergoing a fresher training course and a total of 120 personnel who successfully completed the course in countering gun violence, sophisticated crimes, counter terrorism and intelligence,”Enanga said.

He said the operatives have been redeployed in the traditional districts and will resume their work but operating under the Crime Intelligence Directorate headed by Brig Christopher Ddamulira.

“They continue with their mandate of targeting, disrupting and dismantling organized crime groups and individuals who pose high risks to public and security.”

However, according to the police, Flying Squad operatives will only act basing on intelligence information and that once they make arrests, they will hand over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to process the suspects to courts of law.

“They will hand over the dangerous suspects and guns recovered to CID to proceed with the investigative role. They have been assigned along major routes and highways to support the territorial teams to help in solving violent crimes. Flying Squad teams will provide backup , responding to emergency calls, car jerkings, aggravated robberies, and incidents of smuggling among others.”

According to Enanga, Senior Superintendent of Police, Andrew Kaggwa is still the commander of the Policy Flying Squad unit.

Background

Formed in 2012, the Police Flying Squad is an elite police tactical unit that replaced the Rapid Response Unit as an emergency response to high crime rates in Kampala and its suburbs.

It was formed to deal with high profile crimes including those armed robberies, kidnaps, vehicle robberies and murders among others.

The unit had its headquarters at the Kampala Central Police Station and Nalufenya, before the later was closed.

Whereas initially, the unit fell under the Criminal Investigations Directorate(CDI), former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura took it under his office and reported directly to him.

During that time, the unit also managed the supervision of the surveillance and special operations.

The unit has since its inception

leaned much on ill- trained, unprofessional and former criminals as operatives to carry out it work and consequently, a number of complaints have risen from members of the public against its members accused of involvement in robberies, murders and many other dirty deals for their own selfish gains.

When he assumed office as the Inspector General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola reverted the unit back to CID whereas supervision of the surveillance and special operations were returned to the Crime Intelligence Directorate.

In May 2018, Ochola disbanded the Flying Squad unit and directed all its operatives to report to CID headquarters for further instructions.

Consequently, a new unit named the Organised Crime Unit was formed.

Earlier this year, the police chief directed that the Flying Squad Unit will fall under the Crime Intelligence Directorate.

Consequently, all its operatives were taken for a three months refresher training course that they have completed and the unit has now resumed work.