Jeshi la polisi Tanzania,ni jeshi halali naliko kwa mujibu wa sheria za nchi.Shera iliyoanzisha jeshi ambayo ni Police Force andAuxiliary Service Act, Cap.322 ikiwa ni pamoja na sheria nyingine mfano PoliceForce Service Regulations,1995, Police General Orders (PGO), Katiba ya nchipamoja sheria nilizotaja hapo juu zinalipa uhali jeshi la polisi kuwepo katikanchi yetu.Kwa ufupi ni kwamba Police Act ndiyo inayolipa jeshi la polisiTanzania kutumia silaha likiwa ni miongozi mwa vyombo vya ulinzi na usalama (Armedforces) katika nchi yetu.Neno armed forces limetajwa katika Katiba yanchi,japokuwa halikutajwa kwa uwazi kama polisi,lakini ukweli unabaki pale palekuwa ni jeshi lenye dhamana ya ulinzi na usalama wa raia na mali zao katikanchi hii.Adiha neno silaha limebainishwa wazi kuwa ni bunduki kama kifungu cha29 cha Cap.322 kinavyosema "police officer shall carryarms.."Hapa si matakwa ya askari polisi kubeba silaha,ni suala la sheriazaidi.Lakini kifungu hicho kinaongeza kusema kuwa: "Any police officer may use arms against anyperson in lawful custody charged or convicted of an offence when such person isescaping or attempting to escape where such police officer has reasonableground to believe that he can not otherwise prevent the escape and has given awarning to such person that he is about to use arms against him and suchwarning is unheeded; .... ;or by force, prevents attempt to prevent the lawfularrest of any other persons, where such police has reasonable ground to believethat he or any other person is in danger of grievous bodily harm and can nototherwise effect such arrest or prevent such rescue. The power conferred on apolice officer by this section shall be in additional to and not in derogationof any other power conferred on such police officer by any other law"
Kwa mantiki hiyo basi,sheria haisemi ni bunduki ya aina gani polisi watumie,isipokuwa sheria inahalalisha polisi kutumia bunduki katika kulinda usalama wa raia na mali zao.Kikubwa zaidi sheria inatilia maanani kwa askari polisi kuwa ni lazima kuwepo na sababu zinazopelekea yeye kuamini ya kwamba ana uhalali wa kuitumia silaha hiyo,kwa maana nyingine hakuna njia mbadala zaidi ya silaha hiyo. Sasa suala la wewe kusema kuwahawa polisi wetu hutumia sana SMG katika shughuli za kiraia na huendandiyo sababu raia wengi wasio na hatia wanakufa. Huenda silaha hii huwapausongo sana au mdadi polisi anayetumia na hivyo kujikuta anamimina risasinyingi katika makundi ya watu bila kukusudia
Sababu yakohiyo haina mashiko kwa kuwa hukufanya uchunguzi wa kutosha kujiridhisha ya kuwapolisi wanatumia bunduki kihalali au la! na ni bunduki ya aina gani inapashwakutumika na polisi.Kuuawa kwa raia kwa siku za usoni ni jambo ambalotumeshuhudia katika maeneo mbalimbali hapa nchini,hili linapaswa kukemewa kwanguvu zote.Ninaamini ya kuwa polisi hupata mafunzo juu ya matumizi ya silaha namadhara yake,hivyo polisi yeyote anapotumia silaha bila kupima ataleta madharagani,anastahili kuadhibiwa kwa mujibu wa sheria.Ningependa kutumia mameo yafuatayo pale risai ya moto inapotumia,nilazima kujua inatua kwa nani na wapi!Hivyo sheria za matumizi ya silaha nisharti zizingatiwe katika mafunzo ya polisi mfano Basic Cardinal Rule ambayoinasema hivi:i. Treatevery firearm as though loaded; always point your muzzle in safe direction;
ii. Keepyour finger off the trigger guard until you are on target and have decided to fire,
iii. Be sure of your target, beyond it and backstop.Lakini pia kuna Laser rule ambayo inasemahivi:
Treat the muzzle of your firearm as if itis a Laser gun with the beam always on, wherever the laser beam touches, itcuts through. Endaposheria hizi zitazingatiwa tutashuhudia matatizo machache sana ya matumizi yabunduki pale amabpo ilibidi kutumika.Mauaji yasiyokuwa ya lazima yatapungua naaskari watakuwa na weledi wa kazi waliyosomea.Matukio tunayoshuhudia mengiyanahusisha mikutano ya kisiasa.Tatizo lilopo hapa ni mfumo dume wa polisikufuata matakwa ya chama kilichopo madarakani.Polisi wameshindwa kutambuawajibu wao kwamba wanawajibika wa waananhi walipa kodi.Kwa hili polisiwanatakiwa kujitambua na kuacha kutumiwa kama chombo au kinga dhidi ya chamakinachotawala.Wanatakiwa wawajibike kwa mujibu wa sheria bila kujali itikadi yachama.Napendakukumbusha ya kuwa usalama wowote ni gharama na ili uwe salama unapaswa kutumiaulinzi wa kisasa,na si ilimuradi ulinzi.Aidha askari polisi nao ni watu ambaowanapenda kufanyakazi zao kwa amani na mazingira mazuri na salama zaidi. Zipo sheria zinazo lindahaki za binadamu na matumizi ya silaha.Sheria hizo ni za kimataifa,kikanda naza nchi.Mfano kifungu 13 (6) (e) cha katiba ya nchi yetu kinazuia manyanyashokwa raia yeyote.Lakini kifungu hiki si kigezo au kinga kwa mtu kutenda uhalifumfano kuua,kupora nk.Pale makosa ya kijanai yakifanyika,raia au polisi wanakuwana uhalali kwa kumkamata mtu huyo.Je atakamatwa kwa amani?Endapo ikitokeahivyo,askari polisi halazimiki kutumia nguvu kama vile silaha. Lakini kamaatakuwa anakimbia au anaoendelea kufanya uhalifu ambao unaweza kusabishamadhara makubwa katika jamii,basi hutumia silaha kumkamata.Yapo maeneoyanayoruhusiwa kisheria mfano kupiga risasi hewani za onyo na baadaye kulengauswa wa miguu kushuka chini.Kama askari hatafuata matakwa ya matumizi yasilaha,huwajibishwa kisheria kwa kufikishwa mahakamani kujibu mashitaka kwakosa alilotenda.Katika Tanzania,hakunaraia aliye juu ya sheria. Nimelazika kuandika kwa urefu zaidi ili kujaribu kuondoa dhana potofu ya mwandishi kwambaPolisi Tanzania wanatumia silaha aina ya SMG amabayo ni ya kivita.Lakini piaamesahau hata rifle na shortgun nazo zilitumika kivita enzi zake.
