The relief was showing on their faces when at long last representatives of the police and the Windhoek municipality signed an agreement on Wednesday that kicks off the city’s own police service. Over two years of tough and long drawn out negotiations between the City of Windhoek and the ministry of home affairs finally brought success. Although it is well understood that the ministry had many objections and fears of competition, let alone a possible migration of its own police officers to better municipal pastures, the repeated appeals by Mayor Mathew Shikongo in public to get the agreement concluded, at last bore fruit. The Inspector General of NamPol, Lieutenant General Lucas Hangula, recommended the City of Windhoek for taking up the challenge to fight crime in the capital. It was necessary to have a conducive climate in Windhoek, with peace and security for its residents, so that prosperity could prevail. Hangula called on other local authorities to follow the example of Windhoek. The chief executive officer of Windhoek, Mr Martin Shipanga spoke of a "historic achievement". The City Police would operate within the parameters of the national security system, he added. Next week the posts will be advertised, while the vehicle fleet was already bought a while ago. Residents will pay N$ 16 per month to finance the city police, while business contribute N$ 300 maximum. It will cost the City of Windhoek N$ 36 million to maintain the polices service which will gradually be built up over three years to several hundred members, including traffic officers.