Police ditch vehicle excuses, mount bicycles

The Namibian Police has received six brand-new bicycles to strengthen crime prevention efforts in various Windhoek neighbourhoods.

During the handover, Namibian Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo told officers to stop citing a lack of vehicles as a reason for failing to respond to their duties.

The bicycles were handed over the weekend during a briefing ahead of a national Crime Prevention Operation, which is being rolled out simultaneously across all 14 regions, starting in the capital.

Shikongo said the bicycles would help ensure continued service delivery, particularly in areas where officers have often told complainants that patrol cars were unavailable.

“For too long, the public has been told there are no vehicles,” he said, stressing that resource shortages should not mean inaction.

The police chief's remarks come amid ongoing public scrutiny of law enforcement response times, with residents regularly complaining that they are asked to walk long distances to police stations, even at night, after reporting crimes.

Be visible on foot

Last year, he dismissed the lack of vehicles as a weak and inexcusable explanation for failing to respond to public calls for assistance.

During a major crime prevention briefing last year, reported by Namibian Sun, Shikongo recalled visiting the Israel Patrick Iyambo Police College, where dozens of police vehicles were parked.

“When you go back to your stations, the public will call and you will say, ‘We don’t have vehicles,’" he said at the time. “But what happened to the cars that were right there?”

On Friday, Shikongo reiterated that the challenge was not only about shortages but also about management and accountability, urging officers to make better use of available resources instead of defaulting to excuses.

He further encouraged officers to move away from desk-bound policing and increase visibility through foot patrols, saying walking through communities helps rebuild trust and improves understanding of local challenges.

Improving public perception

The bicycles, which will also be deployed within tourism-focused units, form part of broader efforts to improve police presence as Namibia seeks to counter perceptions that the country is unsafe for residents and visitors.

Shikongo dismissed claims that Namibia is not a safe destination as misleading, noting that tourists travel freely across the country without police escorts and return home without incident.

“We are not denying isolated crimes,” he said. “But it is our responsibility to ensure that anyone within Namibia’s borders feels protected.”

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