By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
This is the question that some people, including myself, are asking, because all we see is either the police Inspector General (IG) Gregory Coleman displaying plastic bag full of Liberian dollars on car, or is seeking international recognition from neighboring countries and has by and large forgotten to execute the tasks that are assigned to his care.
Since the appointment of Coleman as IG, the police has degenerated into a kingdom where everyone is law force to himself.
The Liberia National Police under Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, at a minimum, exhibited some levels of professionalism, ethical composures as well as a people centered force where the rights of even people in conflict with the law were respected and protected. Maybe, someone could argue that because of the presence of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the several international security trainings that officers at the time benefitted from the United Nations Police (UNPOL) as well as the constant monitoring of government institutions, such institution as the police had to live up to international police standards and ethics. On the contrary, others could also argue that with the level of mentorship the police and other received from its international partners, it is about time that the force exhibit those values that it got from its national partners.
“What’s about the military?” Agnes Johnson asked.
“They also benefitted from similar training and it is still showcasing those good values and ethics which has won for it the love and aspiration of the people,” she added. Madam Johnson is a student of the University of Liberia (UL) who claimed that she was physically assaulted by a female police officer following an altercation with the officer in her community on the Old Road.
“Can you imagine that a state security officer assaulting a citizen that she has taken oath to serve and protect?” she quizzed rhetorically.
The core functions as described in Section 3 of the Police Art of 2015 is to maintain public order and safety; and to protect people and property, identify and recover lost and stolen property, prevent, detect and fight crime, identify and arrest criminals as well as enforce the law and testify in court. But contrary to these functions, is evident as many persons like Agnes, and many other citizens have fallen prey to different forms of inhumane and degrading treatments at the hands of some officers of the Liberia National Police. These officers have grown to be aggressive, abusive, arrogant, dictatorial and at some point, humid. These LNP officers need to be named and shamed because they bring the image of the police to public ridicule from their poor performance on the job daily.
While I respect the fact that there are some decent police officers, I have had practical experiences with some of these unethical police officers especially some of those assigned at the Slipway police depot, Logan Town police depot, Point Four police depot, Zone 7 depot in Caldwell, who I refer to as the bad apples in the bunch.
For example, I was at the Slipway police depot where an eleven-year-old girl was stripped naked and beaten on her buttock by a female police officer from the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) on allegation that the victim left her home and got in the streets with some bad friends. Another lady believed to be in her early 30s was verbally insulted and detained by the same WACPS officer to challenging her academically. A man believed to be in his early 20s was also subjected to severe beating on allegation of burglary.
Also, while visiting the Point Four police station, an officer claiming to be a senior police officer used some profane languages against us for not standing to greet him as he walked in and threatened to keep us at the station until we apologized and spoke before we left.
It is no gossip that some dusty uniformed officers are in the street daily harassing motorists in the name of traffic regulations and vehicle inspection.
Beside these few instances that I have listed, there are many other stories that some citizens who have experienced different forms of torture at the hands of the LNP can attest to.
The police stations or depots that are mentioned herein are a living hell for people who are detained in their cells. The sting from crowded are unbearable. There are no toilets and detainees had to use buckets as latrine. There are no beddings for those who are kept as overnight detainee, which exposes them to contracting various communicable diseases.
A detainee at the Slipway depot claimed that he had been in police custody for about a week on allegation of theft. He claimed that he was arrested and detained on Thursday, January 31, 2025 by the police and had since been in prison. When asked to see the daily occurrence book, the officer at the charge referred me to the LNP headquarter for permission.
These barefaced violations and abuse of power by the state’s leading security entity clothed with the responsibilities of protecting lives and properties are going impunity and neither the police IG Gregory Coleman nor the Ministry of Justice is doing anything to address them.
I believe that all these misconducts and unethical behaviors of the police is due to the lack of leadership on the part of the those in authority, especially, the IG. Lots of citizens hailed him for his appointment by President Boakai, base on his professional way he led the force during his tenue under Madam Sirleaf. But since his appointment by the President, Gregory is giving more attention to investigations that are politically chaunted, thereby allowing some of his officers to plunge the reputation of the LNP into an aby of disorder.
Being in charge is taking full control and accounting for every post, batch # as well as individual officer of the force through periodic and unannounced monitoring of depots and assignment areas by county, zones and depot commanders to ensure that every man posted is on duty, well behaved and well attired.
Is Gregory still in charge when some of his officers are with zogoes in ghettos and at times even allegedly involved in criminal activities?
Is Gregory still in charge when some of his men are in the center of human rights violation which has a greater burden on the state?
Is Gregory still in charge when some of men wear dirty and fade-up uniforms in the streets?
Is Gregory still in charge when police stations are now seen as torturing centers to the extend where police officers are assaulting minors and infants who come in contact with the law?
I believe if he were in charge, most of these allegations against polices would have been investigated and some of these issues mitigated.
I would like to borrow from Philip Wesseh, “I rest my case.”
