Prepare For Retirement, Police Officers Advised

COPPERBELT Commissioner of Police Joyce Kasosa has urged police officers to adequately prepare for retirement to avoid being destitute.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Kitwe district commissioner Elias Kamanga at his office on Wednesday, Ms Kasosa said adequate preparation for retirement was the only way that police officers will avoid inconveniencing their families and the police service once they retire.
She observed that failure by some retired police officers to vacate houses was one of the reasons for the accommodation shortage currently prevailing in the service.
“The shortage of accommodation for police officers results partly from the tendency by retired officers not to leave the police camp houses. Retired officers have a tendency of refusing to be repatriated with police vehicles and instead opt for repatriation in monetary form which takes long to be secured and in the end, results into shortage of houses for serving officers,” she said.
Ms Kasosa observed that retirement was inevitable for every serving officer and that it was imperative for them to prepare for it by investing into building their own accommodation.
However, Ms Kasosa said Government had now started giving police officers housing allowance which enables those that are not accommodated in police camps to rent houses elsewhere.
She also said Government’s investment in infrastructure development, particularly the construction of police houses would cushion the accommodation problem in the long-run.
Ms Kasosa’s comments came in the wake of concerns raised by Mr Kamanga on delays by retired officers to leave police camps.
Mr Kamanga urged the police command to find a lasting solution to the delays by retired police officers to leave camp houses so that serving officers are not inconvenienced.
He said his office would not support the prolonged stay of retired officers or families of deceased officers in police houses.