MET opens law enforcement training centre
The escalating elephant and rhino poaching over the past few years, has prompted the establishment of a Law Enforcement Training Centre which will be opened officially at Waterberg on Saturday to curb the scourge of the illegal use and killing of wildlife in Namibia.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the centre was built at a cost of about N$6 million and it will ensure that Namibia has the capacity to deal with wildlife crime.
According to the ministry, the centre was necessitated by the need to enhance the law enforcement capacity for the ministry's law enforcement officials as well as other law enforcement agencies such as the Namibian police, and the defence and justice ministries, to respond to increasing wildlife crime.
The Law Enforcement Centre will therefore, be used to train both new and old law enforcement officers not only from the environment ministry but also law enforcement and prosecution agencies.
Through this centre, a wide scope of basic and advanced training programmes on law enforcement will be offered and training will be concluded by professional trainers and instructors with valuable experience and expertise to provide realistic and up-to-date training courses. A diverse and tailor-made training curriculum will be developed to cater for the needs of both new and old recruits.
The training centre comprises 20 double-room units for the trainees and two double-room units for the caterers, a lecture hall, a kitchen and one house with four flats for trainers and instructors.
The centre is co-financed by the ministry and the Protected Areas System Strengthening (PASS) Project. The Game Products Trust Fund also made funds available for the furniture and equipment required at the training centre and are engaged in on-going discussions with the Nampark project to provide additional funding.
Figures released recently by the ministry indicate that one rhino was poached in 2017, 63 last year and 91 rhinos were killed in 2015.
One elephant was also poached this year and in 2016 there were 101 elephants killed while in 2015, 49 elephants were lost to poaching.
STAFF REPORTER
According to the Ministry of Environment, the centre was built at a cost of about N$6 million and it will ensure that Namibia has the capacity to deal with wildlife crime.
According to the ministry, the centre was necessitated by the need to enhance the law enforcement capacity for the ministry's law enforcement officials as well as other law enforcement agencies such as the Namibian police, and the defence and justice ministries, to respond to increasing wildlife crime.
The Law Enforcement Centre will therefore, be used to train both new and old law enforcement officers not only from the environment ministry but also law enforcement and prosecution agencies.
Through this centre, a wide scope of basic and advanced training programmes on law enforcement will be offered and training will be concluded by professional trainers and instructors with valuable experience and expertise to provide realistic and up-to-date training courses. A diverse and tailor-made training curriculum will be developed to cater for the needs of both new and old recruits.
The training centre comprises 20 double-room units for the trainees and two double-room units for the caterers, a lecture hall, a kitchen and one house with four flats for trainers and instructors.
The centre is co-financed by the ministry and the Protected Areas System Strengthening (PASS) Project. The Game Products Trust Fund also made funds available for the furniture and equipment required at the training centre and are engaged in on-going discussions with the Nampark project to provide additional funding.
Figures released recently by the ministry indicate that one rhino was poached in 2017, 63 last year and 91 rhinos were killed in 2015.
One elephant was also poached this year and in 2016 there were 101 elephants killed while in 2015, 49 elephants were lost to poaching.
STAFF REPORTER
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