KEY POINTS
- All officers are immediately banned from using any cell phone during duty, effective immediately, according to ZRP.
- Phones are left at the start of duty, only to be returned during breaks.
- If officers are caught possessing phones while on duty, supervisors will be responsible.
Officers are henceforth prohibited from using cell phones while on duty as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has announced an immediate ban. This became effective from October 31st.
It was the directive, communicated to the police stations through a memo from the officer commanding Masvingo Central district. It compelled all police stations to make sure that officers give into the hand of their supervisors cell phones at the beginning of their shifts and only utilize cell phones during the break time.
Hold officers accountable
According to the memo, officers caught with cell phones on duty will be disciplined and their supervisors will be held accountable.
The no mobile phone policy is one aspect of an ongoing bid to tighten discipline and keep officers’ eyes on the road while on the job.
The directive also requires that standard operating procedures for all police stations. Furthermore these directive include clear guidelines of use of cell phones during working hours. These procedures require officers to read and acknowledge that they have understood these procedures.
How to improve professionalism avoiding distractions
After many commanders failed to properly enforce repeated instructions on the issue, this measure was taken.
According to New Zimbabwe, reducing distractions like cell phone usage will improve professionalism. It will also affect the quality of service provided officers around the country ZRP believes.
