He adds that murder cases took centre stage with eight in 2022 and four in 2021, attributing this to witchcraft accusations and family misunderstandings along with unsettled debts.

"We have managed to reduce the crime rate by one percent which is not a good figure but we are trying our best to restore order in our policing jurisdiction," said the OC.

This has been revealed today during a Station Executive Committee meeting where the Neno district commissioner Hudson Kuphanga has committed to assist in lobbying for more vehicles for the police station while appealing to people to stop witchcraft related accusations.

He said that "I will see to it that there is an additional vehicle at the station since now we have only two which are not enough to serve a population of over 150 thousand people."

Adding his voice, Alfred Nkwapatira, a SEC member, asked the police to timely brief the committee on the status of crime in an effort to devise new strategies of combating crime.

He is of the view that if reports are timely shared with the committee, the SEC will be able to find news of fighting crime while also rebuking the CID department to reform.

But in response, OC Chingolo asked the committee to inform his office of any malpractice or signs of conniving in order to deal with corruption with a promise of confidentiality.

The police have also asked for more personnel to beef up security saying one officer is serving a population of over six hundred people which is a threat to effective combat of crime.

In trying to address issues of acquittals, Neno police prosecutor Golden Kakoma says most of them are a result of strong defense by the accused or change of statements by the victims which he has called for a stop if the police are to win cases.

Leonard Mphidza has since asked for more police units for example as Nsambe, Chifunga and Golden areas which the police say they are looking into it while asking well-wishers to construct police houses.

Meanwhile, sexual cases also increased from 40 in 2021 to 48 in 2022. Topography has also been singled out as a challenge to timely response to crime.