Another life at stake: Something for the Police to think about

An old woman from Magoli Village in Dete has been missing for a week and three days after going out to seek her herd of cattle which she had sent to feed earlier that day. As it turns out, it isn't the first time this old woman has been lost but it is the longest she has been missing and people fear she might not be found alive. She has been lost before for up to three days only to be found hurdled in some underbrush in Dete's dense forest which boasts of lions and elephants. It is in this same area that a young man, months ago between March and May, was mauled to death by a supposedly stray lion. The police, as has been the tradition, have been giving the same old salute to their tell-us-after-seven-days policy before intervention which has seen more people dying before they are found thanks to it. In 2005, Philip, a friend of mine who was recovering from cerebral malaria took a walk to the sewage ponds 500m from the township to catch a glimpse at the few animals that came to drink from the ponds and he went forever only to found days later, some 16km into the national parks lying under a broken branch, and thoroughly dead.

I am sure there is legal footing for the seven day response-time policy that the police follow however I think that it might be careless if an edict isn't conditioned to help the people as might be true in this case in Dete. Seeing that there is an ever-eminent threat of death from the wild, it is prudent and socially helpful and just for local law enforcement to make special dispensation in their intervention times to potentially save lives before these protected lions feast on my people. I am not sure of the means by which law enforcement would intervene after the seven days but if it is helping with a search and rescue party then it is valid that a search party would be as obsolete as hay to a pig. I think that the police should respond to circumstances even when it appears to be in breach of the law or any possible legislation like the seven-day response time when it helps society. After all, I don't think it is legally scandalous to help save lives. I think it is expected of a police force to serve community and also within standard procedure to put in place "local arrangements" that are adapted to that place and time at station level. I am not attempting to traduce our esteemed protectors, the police; however I am hopeful that by making these suggestions, my goodwill is seen.

I feel there is no bigger concern to address than protect human lives and when that is ignored or given second place in our priorities we are committing a grave sin against the people we are chosen to serve and protect, however hackneyed that may sound. It is possible I may have approached this from a hostile position, or from a position of legislative ignorance but I sure hope that whoever gets to read this, from whatever standing , forgives my mistakes in here because frankly it's not so important but it is the plight I present that should be excite the critics and power-wingmen out there. Somebody do something!