In a region where rivers flood roads, wildlife blocks access routes and some communities located hours away from the nearest police station, responding to crime on time becomes a challenge.
This is the reality that prompted government to launch the Botswana Police Service Air Unit in Maun, to serve the vast and complex North West region.
The air unit launched during a ceremony officiated by the Minister for State President, Defence and Security in Maun on Thursday, marks a strategic shift in how law enforcement will operate across Ngamiland and Chobe defined not only by distance, but by water channels, dense vegetation and protected wildlife zones that often make ground patrols slow or impossible.
Rather than being a symbolic unveiling of aircraft and equipment, the initiative is a deliberate response to long-standing operational gaps that have limited police reach, delayed emergency responses and constrained border and wildlife-related policing in the region.
Public security remains central to national development, peace and stability form the foundation upon which tourism, trade and community livelihoods depend, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa said during the launch.
He said the North West region, as a major contributor to Botswana’s economy through tourism and conservation, required policing solutions that matched its unique terrain.
While acknowledging the current economic pressures, he said the air unit would begin operations with one aircraft, with plans to expand the fleet when fiscal conditions improved.
The long-term vision includes the integration of drone technology and decentralisation of air policing services to other strategic parts of the country.
Mr Mohwasa further stressed that the introduction of air-based policing was part of a broader government commitment to bringing services closer to communities, improving emergency response times, strengthening border security and enhancing crime prevention efforts in areas previously constrained by geography.
For the Botswana Police Service, the Maun air unit is not new ground, but an expansion of a journey that began in Gaborone in 2008 with limited resources and nationwide responsibility.
Commissioner of Police, Ms Dinah Marathe explained that centralising air operations in the capital had placed immense strain on personnel, equipment and response times, particularly for northern districts.
She noted that the opening of a Francistown-based air office in 2012 helped ease some pressure but still left the North West underserved due to distance and terrain.
The Maun unit, she said, directly addressed that gap by positioning aerial resources closer to areas where they were most needed.
Ms Marathe highlighted that crime trends in the North West had generally declined in recent years, particularly property-related offences.
However, she cautioned that stock theft, cross-border crime, illegal immigration, missing persons in forests and drowning incidents in major rivers continued to pose serious challenges that required faster detection and response capabilities.
“The ability to respond swiftly can make the difference between prevention and loss,” she said, adding that air mobility would significantly strengthen surveillance, search-and-rescue operations and rapid deployment during emergencies.
Ms Marathe also underscored the importance of community involvement, reiterating that policing could not succeed in isolation.
She stressed the importance of partnerships with local communities, crime prevention committees and other security agencies, even with the improvement of technology and resources.
For his part, Member of Parliament for Maun East, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile, welcomed the development, describing it as a practical solution to the realities of policing in the Okavango and surrounding areas.
He said aerial transport would allow the police to reach places that were otherwise inaccessible, ensuring cases were handled promptly and reducing delays that often compromised investigations.
Mr Kegonegile said the unit would not only strengthen law enforcement but also reassure communities that government was actively responding to their security concerns.
Beyond crime prevention, the launch of the air unit also comes amid renewed calls for collective action against persistent social challenges, including Gender-Based Violence, drug abuse and fraud targeting the elderly, particularly pensioners.
Communities have been urged to support law enforcement efforts while also addressing these issues at household and community level.
As Botswana continues to explore technology and innovation to diversify its economy and improve service delivery, the Maun air unit represents a broader shift in thinking, one that recognises that geography should not determine access to safety.
