The National Police announces plan to recruit in various counties across Liberia to enhance community policing.
By Kruah Thompson
Maryland County, Liberia, December 4, 2024 – In a bid to address longstanding challenges in policing rural Liberia, the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Gregory Coleman, announces a new strategy to recruit officers from within their counties of birth.
The initiative aims to strengthen community policing and improve law enforcement services outside Monrovia.
Speaking Monday in Maryland County, Coleman addressed community residents, police commanders, and officers, explaining that the current practice of recruiting officers from Monrovia and assigning them to counties has proven ineffective.
“Every time we recruit people from Monrovia and send them to the various counties, they end up struggling to return to their families,” he noted.
To remedy this, the LNP plans to prioritize local recruitment, starting with qualified female members of existing community watch forums, followed by male counterparts before opening the process to the general public.
According to Coleman, these individuals have already demonstrated dedication and commitment to law enforcement, making them ideal candidates for the police force.
“We will build their capacity by providing training, identification cards, and uniforms to ensure they are well-prepared and easily identifiable.”
Coleman emphasizes that the training programs will be tailored to address specific challenges in each county. For areas grappling with issues like human trafficking and drug-related crimes, specialized training will be provided.
“We will change the training from place to place based on the type of support needed,” he says.
The police chief also calls on county commanders to collaborate with local authorities to compile population data for targeted recruitment and deployment. This, he says, would help determine where resources and personnel are most needed.
Highlighting the dire police-to-population ratio in rural areas, Coleman cited Pleebo in Maryland County as an example. He says with a population of approximately 85,000 people and only 14 officers, one officer is responsible for nearly 6,000 individuals.
“The ratio is so bad that it’s clear we need a significant increase in recruitment and training to address this gap,” he notes.
He the population of government’s commitment to improving safety and security across the country, saying, “The President is very supportive of advancing law enforcement services in the counties.”
The Police IG reiterates that the LNP’s dedication to enhancing community safety and improving the quality of policing in Liberia.
“We are committed to doing everything possible to improve safety and security in the country. This time around, we will do things differently.” Editing by Jonathan Browne
