Chasing criminals off the Streets not the solution

A Liberian Clergyman has criticized the ongoing raid by the police to remove criminals off the streets of Monrovia and its environs, saying this is not solution to the problem of criminal gangs in the streets, terrorizing peaceful citizens.

The General Overseer of Chrida Church in Liberia, Rev. Aloysius W. Kpadeh said instead of just getting them off the streets, government should establish rehabilitation centers where they could be given skills to become productive in society.

Police in Monrovia have launched a campaign to raid the capital and its environs of hard-core criminals, in some instances, giving them money to engage in petty trade rather than snatching money, phones and other valuables from unsuspecting passers-by.

Speaking to this paper in Paynesville City outside Monrovia, he said if those criminals, commonly referred to as “Sogo boys” acquired basic skills alongside discipline it will enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of Liberia and the world at large.

According to him, “Sogo boys” in the streets are traumatized as a result of the 14 years of civil war in Liberia, which left hundreds of thousands of people dead and thousands others vulnerable.

Rev. Kpadeh noted that criminals that are being driven from the streets by law enforcement officers have no means of survival and nowhere to stay, adding that in such a situation, it is about time churches across Liberia wake up from their slumber to provide them counsel by making them to understand there is still hope for them in life.

He emphasized that when churches stand their grounds and begin to preach daily to these “Sogo boys” about the good news of Jesus Christ, the significance of their lives and why they were created by God, it will help to transform their bad attitude. “Let the churches play major role in the lives of “Sogo boys” through the act of counseling,” he noted. However, the Liberian Clergyman further called on the Sirleaf-led administration to ensure the construction of rehabilitation centers for the “Sogo-boys” to minimize the threats they pose to the society by their actions.

By Zee Roberts