The Inspector General of Police, Mr Musa Mboob, has revealed that his department has continued to experience an increase in crime rates especially in the Greater Banjul Area.

In his end of year 2006 address on Tuesday 9th January at the police headquarters in Banjul, the police boss added that the police have also experienced a new phenomenon of crime that has never been recorded in the history of our country and that crimes like illegal migration and kidnapping are completely alien in our community.

“We are still struggling with the threat of illegal migration which is claiming the lives of many young Gambians and other West African nationals. We as the national Security of the government cannot sit back and fold our hands, whilst we watch the cream of our young population perish at sea,” he said.

According to IGP Mboob, the police have recorded significant successes in intercepting and aborting most of the illegal journeys by sea and have also dealt with the ring leaders in Court.

He added that Government has also instituted a Task Force on illegal migration which comprises of all stakeholders, and so also working closely with the Security Services to come up with a national policy on illegal migration.

On road Traffic Management, the police boss asserted that this still remains one of the greatest challenges that The Gambia has to tackle. “One of the major problems we have to deal with in this regard is the increase in the number of vehicles plying our roads.”

Road traffic safety, he said, has improved comparatively over the years, and the figure is still on the high side and any more accident would be far too much and unacceptable.

“The enactment last year, of a law prohibiting the use of cellular phones by motorists is a step in the right direction, he noted, adding that experience has shown that the use of cell phones is incompatible with driving and that it has been the main cause of many road traffic accidents.