…says Media 1
February 1, 2021
By: James Kamara-Manneh
The Media One Public Relations Officer of the Sierra Leone Police, Superintendent Brima Kamara, has on the 28th January stated in an exclusive interview with A-Z newspaper that more than 1000 men and women will be recruited into the Police force this year.
He made this disclosure to correct misapprehension in the public domain that certain number of special interested individuals have been earmarked for enlistment in the Police force.
He responded to questions about verifying the criminal records and background of individuals before recruited into the force, stating that it has always been the norm to conduct due diligence vetting of applicants that opt to serve in the Sierra Leone Police.
“Normally before coming into the force we send them for profiling at the Criminal Investigations Departments, were their finger print is taken and if otherwise been convicted for an offence they will not accepted,” he said.
Media One blamed the complacency of those at community level entrusted with the obligation certifying the characters of prospective Police recruits to have created some compromise in the enlistment process.
He furthered noted that the duties of the Local Police Partnership Board members is to weed out those they think are unfit to serve in the Police force. He said the opinions of members of the local Police Partnership are supposed to be confidential.
He called on citizens to raise concern if a certain individual has questionable character to be unfit whether mentally or otherwise to join the police force. The police team will conduct a further background check to ascertain accusation and if proven that individual will definitely not be enlisted.
With the current 13, 000 Police officers, Superintendent Kamara debunked notions of trigger happiness as is perceived in some quarters.
“People think the police must not use tear-gas, but it is standard practice to quell down unrest and demonstrations.”
He stated clearly that the Police don’t wish to see someone’s life been taken away so carelessly, and they are not trigger happy while carrying out their duties to maintain law and order in the state.
He confidently told this medium that police has always been at the top of securing lives and properties, and will continue in that direction. “If we think we are overwhelmed we can call on MAC-P to restore if there is any unrest within the capital”.
He finally called on the commercial drivers to comport themselves and aid the Police in upholding the rule of law by respecting the passengers. He assured the public of Police support towards the implementation of the two weeks curfew and the support to the NaCOVERC.
