The present trend in our country’s crime rate continues to raise eye brows as many citizens continue to suffer in the hands of armed robbers, pick pockets, rapists and other human rights abusers.Even when many communities and the victims continue to cry, the SLP and their counterparts in the security sector continue to issue press releases debunking these very clear evidences of increased security threats to our property and movement as peaceful citizens.
A certain newspaper reported last week that Waterloo and its environs has recorded over eighteen (18) gruesome deaths for the period 2018 largely emanating from armed robbery and other physical attacks. Itis very much evident that Waterloo and it environs remains under policed. The Division remains handicapped in terms of personnel and vehicles to police the vast and mountainous terrains full of ex-soldiers, rebels and ex-combatants. The area remains a den for criminals and this is why any sober Police organization should tag the area as a grey zone for policing.
The Police and the ONS should sit up straight and devise sustainablesecurity strategies to beat down clique violence, armed robbery, sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and all forms of other crimes especially so with the prevailing abject poverty and unemployment crisis that is plaguing the country’s youthful and vulnerable population.
A video of a female JC making rounds in the social media had warned her comrades coming from the diaspora this festive season to be careful when driving along the streets of Freetown especially in the beach and other touristic areas.The lady had in the video narrated an ordeal in which she was robbed off her phone and other valuable assets in broad day light at Aberdeen Road, West of Freetown.
The Police, for this Christmas period at least have been saved from providing police coverage for masked devils which had been a major preoccupation in festive seasons since none will be coming out this year. Security arrangements and preparations for this season should be directed at adequately protecting citizens who will be out to enjoy themselves at night.
The Police should try to make their presence very visible in areas people keep complaining about. The organization should step up highway and other street patrols to be able to respond effectively and on time to distress calls.
The argument the ONS continue to make that the crimes occurring in the country are not in any way impacting on the general security situation of the country is not tenable for the fact that statistics of crimes against property and humans are on the increase and it is the business of the Police and other security players to step up the game before things get out of hand. We don’t need to wait for things to escalate before we do something. The Police should in the coming year build more Police stations and posts especially in emerging communities where the response time to distress calls and the crime rate is appalling.
Many Sierra Leonean’s including the US Embassy in Freetown are of the view that the Police lacks the capacity to effectively deal with serious crimes.This has been justified by IG Moigbeh who has told lawmakers quite recently in Parliament that the Police has not received a dime from the SLPP Government in terms of budgetary support since August, 2018.
The Police, the IGP noted, are highly indebted to several contractors for goods and services supplied to the organization. The organization he concluded, is very much challenged to undertake its normal routine operations.
Sierra Leoneans will want assurances from the Sierra Leone Police that we are safe for the festive season to move around and undertake our normal business as citizens.