The Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, inaugurated the new Metropolitan North Divisional Headquarters at Abercrombie, this afternoon.
The Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Anil Kumarsing Dip; the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr. Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah; and other personalities, were present.
On the occasion, the Police Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025, which would serve as a roadmap to improve service delivery and enable the Mauritius Police Force to meet emerging challenges, was also launched.
In his address, the Prime Minister stated that the new Metropolitan North Divisional Headquarters is aligned with Government’s vision to modernise infrastructure across the country in all sectors, including law and order, for improved working conditions and service delivery. He recalled that the Police Station, which was known previously as Briquetterie Police Station, then changed to Abercrombie in memory of Late Major General John Abercrombie, the commander of British Military Forces who conquered Mauritius in 1810, was erected in 1860.
To the tune of some Rs 110 million, the new facility is commensurate with the responsibilities of the police officers of the Port Louis North Division and will better serve the 200,000 citizens within the geographical area of coverage, affirmed Mr Jugnauth. He recalled that the area under the purview of the Division had witnessed major residential, commercial, and industrial developments.
Commending the officers who serve the community with honesty, sense of duty and commitment, the Prime Minister applauded the decline in the rate of serious crime offences. He put forward the various endeavours undertaken by the Government to strengthen the efficacy of the Police Force through training on evidence-based and scientific method, and the procurement of state-of-the art and high-technology equipment. He stressed that the introduction of safe city cameras had helped to solve crimes, and increase public safety.
The Prime Minister, moreover, underlined the importance of effective collaboration with the public and civil society to address problems at regional level and enhance the safety of citizens. He thus saluted initiatives such as community policing and the conduct of awareness and sensitisation sessions in a bid to educate people and reduce crime. Highlighting that law and order was not the concern of Government and the Police solely, Mr Jugnauth appealed to the public to act responsibly.
Underlining that there was still room for improvement, the Prime Minister welcomed the Police Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025, which he deemed fitted with the Government’s vision 2030, the Financial Action Task Force as well as the Human Rights Commission report and the Drug Commission Report 2018. He emphasised the strategies to combat drug trafficking, internal and external threats, transnational and organised crimes, money laundering and cybercrimes. Mr Jugnauth assured the Mauritius Police Force of his continuing support and urged officers to adopt a positive attitude and strive to get the trust of those they serve.
