Pres. Sirleaf wants Police Act amended

President Ellen Johnson has submitted a bill to the Legislature titled, An Act to amend chapter 22 subsection 22.76 (a) of the Liberia National Police Act, of 2015. There exists a gap in the current Police Act, which states that the Inspector General of police serves at the will and pleasure of the President. However, it falls short of saying for how long such service should be provided, which may create vulnerability.

In a communication sent to Plenary on Tuesday, 29 August President Sirleaf says the purpose of the amendment is to close the gap and create job security and certainty in the planning, execution and performance at the highest level of policing in Liberia.

She notes that when passed into law, it will give the Inspector General a definite tenured position, and avoid serious instability with assurance that the Inspector General will not be sacked the next minute, thereby jeopardizing his plans.

The President stresses that as security is paramount to keeping the peace, the passage into law of this legislation that creates a stable leadership position in the police force will help government attain its security goals.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has forwarded the communication to its committees on National Security and Judiciary to report in two weeks.

The Liberia National Police has undergone restructuring as part of Security Sector Reform or SSR initiated in collaboration with UNMIL, which saw a change in the nomenclature of the head of police from Director to Inspector General. Editing by Jonathan Browne