Police accused of negligence from social media 'addiction'

The Luwero Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Richard Bwabye, says that security personnel ought to be more focused on their jobs especially in the wake of attacks against them across the country.

He has called for regulations on social media use to avoid risks of attacks.

Brenda Nabukenya, the Luwero District Woman Member of Parliament says complaints have been made about delayed service delivery at police stations because officers are busy on social media, including traffic officers.

She explains that their right to information should not interfere with their duties. She aksed police leadership to ban officers from social media use during work hours or active dispatch.

This focus on social media during active deployment is equivalent to indiscipline according to James Ocaya, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, and the Director of Research, Planning, and Development in the Uganda Police Force.

However, he explained that some police commanders have mobilised communities over social media like WhatsApp groups, where security alerts are shared.

Notably, the Uganda Police Force initiative UPF Mobi application has been introduced to ease communication. The proposed ban might affect its implementation.

One key suspect in the attack on Advance Smart Micro Finance, Bashir Lubega, told police detectives that before the attack to rob a gun from the security guards, he had monitored them for days and found work negligence.