A Highly Welcome Relief!

The decision taken by the Head of State to reorganise the functioning of Municipal Policing in the country’s Councils and City Councils sparks hopes of better days ahead especially coming on the heels of growing controversies that have surrounded the sector.  In fact, the Presidential decree of August 9, 2022 to lay down conditions for carrying out municipal policing is easily a stitch in time that saves nine looking at the hitherto prevailing cacophony on the field. 
Markets, streets and other public places in most of the country’s cities have almost been hijacked by people with doubtful characters passing for municipal police and doing just anything: The good, bad and even the ugly. Their behaviour raised questions than answers.
In the face of diverse disorders, various municipal authorities have been devising means to surmount the challenge; one of which is recruiting municipal police to ostensibly keep order where and when disorder had or creeps in. Reports of clashes between municipal agents and road users over the latters’ somewhat ignorance of the scope of their work or overzealousness on seemingly helpless and naïve citizens have been recurrent. This attests to mix-ups which needed to be quickly and meticulously handled in order to avert the worse. 
The Head of State’s decree therefore sets records straight as there are hopes that the mess noticed as at now would hopefully be things of the past. It is now known to everyone that the purpose of Municipal Policing is to maintain order, safety, tranquillity, security and public sanitation on the territory of the Council or City council. Wherever they may be recruited, trained and commissioned; the public should know that their role is to, among others; ensure safety and convenience of passage through streets, quays, public    squares and roads, in particular: cleaning, street lighting; clearing congestions; demolishing or repairing buildings in danger of collapse; removing items or substances which may cause damage or harmful exhalations; facilitating road crossing for pupils, students and other users; easing traffic on public roads and at intersections, under the supervision of the forces of law and order and regulating the parking of vehicles on public roads. These are just some of their functions. 
Clearly outlining the modalities for their setup, giving the criteria on who can or cannot be a Municipal Police, their rights and responsibilities would undoubtedly clip the wings of some of them who mistakenly thought they could f...