Hard work is rewarded with more work in an institution that strives to meet public needs and expectations, and such has crystalised in the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the country’s principal law enforcement agency.
Despite criticisms and challenges, the (SLP) is better off now under the command of a new police chief that is using policing might only to keep the people safe, thanks to President Julius Maada Bio for a brilliant choice.
In a splendid occasion on July 27, 2022, Inspector-General of Police, William Fayia Sellu took the oath of office before law makers replacing Ambrose Michael Sovula.
The day marked the rise to the top of the police command hierarchy of a man of few words but effective in performance and result.
On his appointment, One of IG’s first challenges was the infamous August 10 demonstrations staged against the government of Sierra Leone with many calling it baptism of fire for firebrand police chief.
He emerged stronger in the face of big doubt as the state which was on the brink of collapse was put back its feet through his tact and professionalism.
Mr Sellu was smart enough to seek inter-agency cooperation especially with the army to contain violence and lawlessness.
He came during turbulent times with the police force grappling with an opinion crisis owing to allegations of human rights abuses and unprofessionalism amid an election seen as one of the most controversial in Sierra Leone’s political history.
Threats of disrupting the elections were visible in all social media platforms and his daunting task was to assure citizens that they would exercise their franchise without hindrance.
His call was honoured as thousands voted in spite of few challenges that are usually visible in elections. However, security challenges persisted and in such a situation, the new police chief identified various policing priorities to brand a new image for the police force.
Three of his main priorities were enhanced service delivery, discipline and community policing which he thought would be the only way out for a peaceful and stable Sierra Leone. By all standards, his priorities are in tune with the times and any successful police institution will adopt such policing strategies.
Impressive inroads made in those major aspects of the police service transformed the force from one plagued by a moribund and lackluster leadership to an able and competent one.
In the sphere of service delivery, the police chief first ensured that the public’s right of access to police service is recognised and respected by having more police stations and posts in various communities in Freetown and beyond.
The new police post at Skye Junction at Leicester community is the latest effort by the police IG to ensure that the people are safe in daytime and at night.
It is an initiative that is greatly admired and cherished by the community people as they feel confident to make their reports to police officers who professionally handle their matters.
The community safety initiative also reaches lecturers, administrative staff and pupils of Fourah Bay College, one of the constituents of the University of Sierra Leone.
In the past, robberies, by armed robbers, on lecturers’ homes were rife owing to the absence of police officers in the community. Okada riders (commercial motorists) would also fell prey to banditry costing their lives and property, but such brutal crimes hardly occur since police deployed in the community.
General duty Police officers are backed up with OSD (Operations Support Division) personnel to ensure a zero-tolerance strategy on crime, and the security initiative has borne juicy fruits: the people now have sound sleep at night and professors brood over their books with fear of an armed crime. IG Sellu must be recognised for such move.
The police chief’s excellent police service is also seen in the traffic sector as police officers embark on mobile and unarmed patrols in the city centre and its environs to keep drivers within legal ambits to reduce road accidents to the barest minimum.
His impact is also felt in the general duties and investigation wings of the police service where cases are now speedily and fairly investigated to attract public trust and confidence, the foundation of police power and authority.
The injected the good practice in the police agency owing to his rich experience gained in his days at the Criminal Investigation Department where he rose through the ranks before holding several positions of command and responsibility.
It was under Mr Sellu’s supervision that a Local Unit Commander, Ibrahim Mohamed Sama at Waterloo Division won recognition and accolade from Diaspora Focus as the ‘Best Police Officer’ for the year, 2023.
His passion for security and safety for the people of Sierra Leone is in line with a fundamental constitutional provision which says “the security and peace…of the people of Sierra Leone shall be the primary purpose and responsibility of government, and to this end, it shall be the duty of the police and other security agents to safeguard and protect the people of Sierra Leone.”
The policing models adopted by the police chief has recently diplomats and development partners who come closer to the police force than ever before as evidenced by a litany of donations for them to do more.
Recently, Chinese embassy donated several bags of rice to the police force to boost their morale.
Strides taken by the police IG is in line with the notion that the police are in the frontline of the country’s justice system, and the public’s right of access to security service could not be whittled down in any circumstance.
The success stories in IG Sellu’s current policing are firmly entrenched within the scope of the community policing aimed at meeting the security needs and expectations of the people of Sierra Leone through public education and sensitisation schemes about crime.
Community policing also known as local needs policing is about seeking community participation in mapping out security strategies and helping the police to succeed by sharing accurate information on crimes for appropriate police response.
Community policing pays off as no one expect a force of 10, 000 (ten thousand) men watching over 8, 000, 000 (eight million) to succeed without public support and cooperation. Community policing is cost effective as it saves police resources and time in achieving the key goal of peace and security within the state.
In recognition of the cost-effectiveness and other great benefits of community policing, the police chief has recently strengthened the Community Relations Department (CRD) with the necessary logistics and motivation so that police officers can take the police service to the doorsteps of the people.
CRD personnel currently sensitise and educate communities, schools and colleges on crime prevention techniques and the need to cooperate with the police for safety, peace and security. The sensitisation drive has put the police force in the positive limelight as conditions for protest have lately faded.
The anti-crime campaign is still going on until the last man in last village is reached. By his calm and cool disposure, the police chief is an embodiment of education, discipline and professionalism. He takes always minds his words when he goes public.
With such qualities, he has been in better position to keep police excesses in check by way of fair but fierce prosecution of serious ethical breaches especially unlawful possession of drugs.
Coming into the police force with the wrong intentions, some few bad apples have seen trading and trafficking in drugs as the easiest and quickest path to success over the years, but the trend has been reversed by the police chief.
Mr Sellu has, few days ago, dismissed three police officers convicted of unlawful possession of drugs apart from those recently asked to lay kits for related disciplinary offences.
In his stride to enforce discipline in the police service, he goes after only the bad eggs and not the good ones and he himself has never fallen short of discipline throughout his police career.
Fayia Sellu first gained public attention when he was posted as Aide-de-camp to President Ahmad Tejan Kabba at the peak of Sierra Leone’s 11-year war.
He was with the President during difficult moment especially in international meetings and conferences to restore peace, a duty that earned him honourable and enviable recognition in the police service.
At no time that the name, Fayia Sellu appears in the bad books of any government that is in power for indiscipline, and little wonder that while in middle and senior ranks, he was often posted to police divisions where discipline is deteriorating.
Between 2016 and 2017, IG Fayia Sellu was posted to Bo city to strengthen police discipline after he returned from UN peace-keeping mission in Darfur.
In a short time, he became Southern Region’s police commander and his legacies of discipline, police competence and pro-activeness in the fight against crime still linger in that part of the country. He also displayed a culture of discipline when he was appointed Commandant of Police Training School as it was in his tenure that a large number of police applicants faced tight scrutiny prior to recruitment. He continued on the same page when he was made the police IG.
Although he places emphasis on discipline, he equally does not lose sight of police welfare seen in prompt payment of salaries and rice supply.
Above all, the police IG is passionate about seeing a crime-free society and would not like to see criminals have a field day.