ZP LAUCHES STANDARD OPERATING PROCEEDURE ON COVID - 19

By Timothy Malumo

In View of the global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID -19), the Zambia Police Service has launched the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on how the Police Service should operate under the New Normal concept.

  

This comes in the wake of the economic and social disruption as well as the inconsistences among the security officers on how to effectively police in the COVID - 19 environment.

Speaking at the launch of the documentat the Zambia Police Training College in Lusaka, Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja said the Police was moving in accordance with government’s guidelines in mitigating the spread of the pandemic.

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Mr. Kanganja stated that the police played a vital role in supporting government’s efforts to make sure that the pandemic does notescalate to uncontrollable standards by making sure that the Statutory Instrument Number 21 and 22 together with other pieces of legislature that go with it are implemented.

The police chief said the SOP was premised and developed on the Statutory Instruments Number 21 and 22 of 2020.

“This Standard Operating Procedureis an important tool that will help our institution to effectively contribute to achieving the objective of the Zambia COVID Preparedness and Response Program,” he said.

Mr.Kanganja thanked the United Nation Development Program (UNDP), Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Justice and GIZ for their technical and financial support rendered to the Zambia Police Service in formulating the document.

  

 

Speaking earlier, UNDP Resident Representative Lionel Laurens said his institution was concernedabout the impact of thedisease particularly its ability to reverse the gained collective progress made towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Mr Laurens said UNDP was proud to stand with the Zambia Police Service in launching the SOP.

The UNDP Representative noted that the document was important as it supported pillar number four of the Sustainable Development Goals which talks about preserving social and economic stability.

He stated that the SOP for the Zambia Police Service was a blueprint that the police would be using for many years to come.