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Residents of squatter settlements encircling the Nadera and Kinoya area got a surprise yesterday morning as small organized groups of the Ready Action Unit made way into their compounds with the Dog Unit.

Many ran out of their houses expecting a raid or capture of a fugitive but were met with smiling faces and greetings.

The operation was simply that of the Southern RAU Unit familiarizing themselves with the back tracks and secret paths used by thieves and robbers on the run when hiding from the main roads during a run away bust.

Operation Track Finding began yesterday in the Southern Division to add onto the many other pro-active operations undertaken by the various divisions of the RAU Unit around the country in the past few weeks.

Officer in Charge of RAU Operations Inspector Mariana Radua said yesterday’s operation in the Southern Region, especially in the most crime prone area of Nasinu was to help officers familiarize themselves with the area of their jurisdiction.

“They must know their area like the back of their hands, they must know the cut off points or where to proceed if a perpetrator  is on the run either  from a bank robbery or otherwise.”

The proactive initiative is also an attempt to create awareness that Police will visit communities on a regular basis especially the business and industrial areas and squatters surrounding them.

“This is also an opportunity to get in touch with the residents, talk to them and let them know what we can offer.

“Sometimes it is hard for people from such communities to come to our stations if they have information because of travelling and issues of being seen in a Police station or cultural barrriers, so when we go down to them it makes things easier as they feel more comfortable.

Assistant Police Spokesman Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri again reiterated yesterday that the public had a big role to play in fighting crime not only Police alone.

“What people must understand is that crime is everyone’s problem, so we bank a lot on the community for information and assistance, if we work together we then can make our communities crime free or safer.”