Police will put adequate measures to ensure that their members’ lives are not endangered when carrying out their duties, a senior officer has said.

Deputy Commissioner-General (operations) Innocent Matibiri said the force would continue working hard to ensure that all hardcore criminals are brought to book.

“We will not sit and watch them terrorise the people. Let it be known that the force will work tirelessly to ensure a crime free environment,” he said.

He was speaking at a church service for Detective Sergeant Joseph Maximus (29) who was killed on Saturday morning in a shootout with robbers believed to be behind the heist at ZB Bank’s Juliasdale branch in Nyanga.

Last Thursday, the robbers struck the ZB Bank and made off with over US$116 000 and R14 000. Detective Sgt Maximus was shot in the abdomen and chest by one of the three suspected robbers along Samora Machel Avenue in Harare at around 2am on Saturday.

Police have since arrested two of the robbers and recovered US$59 000 and R4 000 believed to be part of the money looted after the Nyanga heist.

Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri said it was disheartening to note that bank robberies had increased countrywide.

He said over the past few years there was a decline in bank robberies but suddenly the cases were on the increase.

“We are worried as police and it is also our hope that we will work together as a nation to curb criminal activities,” he said.

Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri described Detective Sgt Maximus as a diligent policeman who was dedicated to his duties.

Several senior officers attended the church service at Morris Depot Chapel in Harare yesterday.

Detective Sgt Maximus will be buried today at his home in Rusape. Police have warned that they would not hesitate to use force on criminals resisting arrest.

(Source)