A colleague once slapped me in the face with his misguided misconception about criminology being a useless qualification not worth to be regarded for promotional purposes.

Understanding the type of person he was, I let it slide then. I didn’t want get to his level and pick up an argument.

He was misguided and I could not allow his ignorance to spoil my day. I had better things to do and I still do, so I don’t waste my time entertaining ruble-rousers.

Why Criminology matters?

The society we live in is full of criminals and crime rates are high. Among other professionals, criminologists always use the scientific method to help unpack the causes of criminal behaviour, help to unpack the causes of crime, solve crime, study the criminal behaviour of offenders, understand the impact of victims of crime through the study of the sub-field of Victimology. Criminologists are multi-disciplinary professionals, they understand criminalistics, forensic science in its various sub-fields. However their main focus is to scientifically study crime, criminal behaviour and offer solutions to diverse agencies including the criminal justice system, the private sector- especially in white-collar crime, and scholarly research. Criminology derives from a diverse range of other disciplines within the social sciences as well. Economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, demograpghy and migration. Within the research domain, criminologists tend to cede the quantitative approach to the criminalistic branch and they concentrate on the qualitative approach. This tend to illuminate the underlying reasons of why people misbehave and commit crimes.

One day- I will interview one, Vengesai Jabulani Mutasa. I will get to understand why he stormed a police station in Sanyati and killed a police officer?

Why?

Murder of police officers is an under researched area in Zimbabwe. Research will inform and guide policy on the ways we can protect police officials.

One day- I will interview one, Jason Muvevi. I will get to understand why he murdered a police officer yet he wasonce a police officer? Why he was violent in Zimbabwe but meek when he was arrested in Mozambique?

Criminology is about studying criminal behaviour.

Criminology is about solving crime using the scientific formula.

One day- I will interview one, Anymore Zvitsa. I will get to understand why he committed those multiple homicides?

Cash heists and armed robberies were so foreign in Zimbabwe. They have become the exemptioon now. I will understand what makes some families brazenly criminal syndicates. The Vumbunus will provide me with answers one day. These cash heists will answer the question- are there insiders who are rouge? Inside informers? I will interview them and they tell the world what their motivation is.

It is encouraging to note that there is a small pool of Universities in Zimbabwe who have embraced criminology in their programmes of study. TheZimbabwe  Ezekiel Guti University has an Mphil in Criminology amd Development, The University of Zimbabwe might one day host a Centre for Criminological Studies. Africa University has a course- Migration, Law and Criminology in one of its Masters degree programmes.

South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have advanced programmes of academic studies in Criminological sciences.

However, just like in Zimbabwe, criminology is not a recognised profession in South Africa and this has frustrated criminologists  South of the Limpopo river.

Until Zimbabwe recognise the significance of criminology, my colleague will keep slapping my ears with his misinformed opinions about criminologists being criminals.