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HIT Enters into MOU with ZRP

Zimbabwe Republic Police Deputy Commissioner General, (Crime), Cde Mutamba has said the Harare Institute of Technology is one of the most revered institutions of technology, and has underscored the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in improving systems to fight crime. Universities and research and development institutions the world over, he said, had a critical role to play in augmenting the work of the security sector.

Speaking during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Harare Institute of Technology, Cde Mutamba said such relationships were integral for national development to ensue.

HIT and the ZRP signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 29 January 2019, based on cooperation in software enhancement and staff development. Its prime objectives are to collaborate in research and development of technologies aimed at enhancing the capabilities of ZRP operations, the development and deployment of a software system to facilitate the ease of doing business for all departments which fall under the ZRP Criminal Investigation Department, making significant contributions towards the enhancement of the crime analysis function within the ZRP through artificial intelligence and machine learning, and identifying and executing joint cyber security research projects. The MOU is for a period of five years. The University’s School of Information Science and Technology will lead implementation of the MOU.

The partnership will assist the ZRP in developing and deploying robust software systems in the following areas: Scenes of crime, central criminal bureau, national fingerprints bureau, central firearms registry, forensic science laboratory, forensic ballistics, cyber laboratory, criminal intelligence unit, criminal records office and foreigners identification bureau.

Cde Mutamba acknowledged that their institution was policing a technologically advanced 21st century society, adding that criminals now also engaged technological sophistry in perpetuating crime.  The collaboration, he said, would enhance ZRPs capacity to fight crime.

Cde Mutamba added that the symbiotic partnership between HIT and ZRP will introduce and integrate new technological innovations with other government departments, improving the ZRPs communication and information sharing capacity with other key stakeholders in the fight against crime, whilst strengthening the ZRPs pedigree in extending the frontiers of a crime –free society.

He added that as a law enforcement agency, they would fully utilise modern ICTS and artificial intelligence in all facets of crime management, eradicating manual systems and improving efficiency in policing systems.

Cde Mutamba said while the country works tirelessly towards attaining an upper middle income economy by 2030, the ability to partner institutions such as HIT were a step in the right direction, as HIT had developed a strong footprint in the technological arena. He urged all police officers to fully embrace this milestone partnership which signaled the ZRPs presence in the digital society.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor Eng. Q.C. Kanhukamwe, Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr Maxwell Chanakira said HIT was proud of being the trailblazer in the whole repertoire of emerging digital technologies, now dubbed Industry 4.0 which relate to concepts of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, robotics, automation to mention a few. He added that HIT was the only University in Zimbabwe offering programmes in the areas of cyber security, digital forensics among others.

Dr Chanakira said the cooperation in software enhancement and staff development was a strong recognition by the ZRP of the University’s capabilities in delivering top notch expertise in this area. He also expressed delight at the fact that the ZRP recognizes new developments in the area of digital and cyber security and hence and hence, their partnering with the University in this regard is testament to the significant role and premise they place on these key issues.

Dr Chanakira also added that in order to keep abreast of a rapidly changing world, there was need to remain cognisant of developments in the digital and cyber space and craft new strategies to embrace such technologies. He said it was important to understand their nature, existence, and transformation and circumvent any threats both at the institutional and national level. The MOU, he said was in essence an acknowledgement by both parties of the need to effectively address new and emerging technologies and manipulate them to fulfill our collective needs and aspirations as mandated by Government.

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