Strengthened Municipal Policing and Urban Safety Governance Systems

The initiative to establish the MPS started in 2018 with the aim of having the services in all the city councils of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba. The MPS will be a local law enforcement agency under municipal authority responsible for maintaining public order, enforcing local by-laws, managing traffic, and protecting municipal assets within the urban council boundaries. The Municipal Police officers will, therefore, work towards proactive community policing, responding to emergencies, preventing crime, and conducting patrols. The reform focuses on the following areas: i) Get approval from OPC to establish the MPS; ii) Conduct consultative meetings on the development of the MPS Bill; iii) Enact the Bill/Act; iv) Disseminate the Act to the stakeholders; v) Conduct functional review on the establishment of MPS; vi) Recruit staff; vii) Train staff; and viii) Establish MPS Unit in the city councils.