Shortage of law enforcers worry legislators

TANZANIA faces serious shortage of law enforcement officers with statistics indi

cating that one police officer is charged to protect 1,040 citizens and yet global requirements stand at one law enforcement officer for just 400 people, the National Assembly was told.

The revelation was made by Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Pereira Ame Silima while reacting to a basic question by Musoma Urban MP Vincent Nyerere.

Mr Nyerere had complained over the shortage of law enforcement officers and suggested that the state should employ at least 30,000 officers each year to curb the shortage.

Mr Silima attributed the shortage of personnel in the law enforcement organ to limited infrastructure and financial resources.

The deputy minister admitted as well that the country lags behind in meeting the average police to citizen ration of one police officer for 400 citizens.

“Each year, the government employs new police officers in line with available financial resources to train and employ the officers from police training colleges,” Mr Silima told the National Assembly.

At present, Mr Silima said the police force boast of 43,231 law enforcement officers, noting that the government recruits 3,000 officers each year to bridge the shortage.

“As we speak, there are about 3,186 new recruits undergoing training at the Moshi Police Training College who are expected to be passed-out in the near future.

Plans are also underway to employ 3,000 police officers before August this year,” he explained.

The deputy minister told the august House that by the end of this year the police force will boast of 49,500 officers after which the average ratio for police officer per person will increase to one officer per 950 people.