June 7, 2021
By Dadson A. Musa
From the loss of exhibit items, to asking for money before one is granted bail and colluding with rich criminals to sometimes get away with crime… Some officers of the Sierra Leone police have assumed notoriety and in the process pervert justice to undermine the safety and security of our people.
The core mandate of the Police is to protect life and property. But are they really living by this dictate? It is a mixed bag to be honest. For there are good Police preserving integrity and there are those mired in one corruption activity or another.
They are the first set of government workers to receive their salaries before the end of every month plus an entitlement to a bag of rice, and recently they have had an increment of 25% in their monthly salary.
Their activities of late have left citizens bewildered about the oath they take.
We cannot forget to highlight how some armed Police officers have been reckless to discharge the gun and kill innocent people.
In the fight against environmental degradation such as sand mining and timber logging the police are letting off the hook people arrested for violating environmental laws of the land.
At Lakka police station where sand mining and the violation of mining laws are reported, the culprits are freed upon bribing the police. Sand mining at Lakka has left the beach front badly distorted with buildings easily collapsing.
Government has long since placed a moratorium on the mining of sand but every night when people are asleep there is rampant and indiscriminate mining of sand for house construction.
It is rumored that Lakka is not the only beach front affected by this rampant sand mining.
A senior official at the Forestry Department also revealed that one AIG in Makeni city ordered the release of a Chinese national who was caught in illegal timber logging.
The said AIG even told the Chinese national to go and continue with the illegal activity.
We pray for credible investors to come here and invest but the security climate has to be proper before attracting them.
Our police force must make sure they are really professional and corrupt-free before attracting investors.
Our borders, airport and seaport are places where the police are apt in collecting bribes without thorough search and checking of cargoes before they are allowed to pass.
The checkpoints can be worst off as drivers are only delayed when they refuse to give them money.
Agreed that they have their challenges in terms logistics but that should not make them betray their loyalty to country and what they have vowed to work for.
The decent thing to do is to resign or find another job. Since the coming to power of this SLPP government there has been several reshufflement of the police force at the top level.
Recently, four senior police officers have been suspended and demoted.
The bottom line is that government must intensify background checks before enlisting young men and women into the police force.