Decisively Battle Re-surfacing Armed Robbery

The LNP: Rejuvenating Its Efforts to Decisively Battle Re-surfacing Armed Robbery

The heinous crime, armed robbery, is once again on the increase in Monrovia and its environs. Of late, reports of armed robbery have been emanating from a number of communities, including Central Monrovia, Gardnersville, Paynesville and the township of Congo Town.

Months prior to and following the Holiday Season, the Liberia National Police to a larger extend succeeded in containing armed robbery and other crimes with all of the professional vigor. But between the beginning of the month of March and now, the vigilance of the police seemed to have diminished leaving innocent residents and citizens at the mercy of the criminals.

While the LNP must be commended for its ability to maintain law and order with respect to fighting crimes in Monrovia and its environs, one would also wonder as to why such vigilance would disappear at the time when citizens and residents need them most? Despite all of the assurances given by authorities of the LNP in view of the foregoing, many had harbor the belief that measures instituted to curtail crimes in the various communities would have been a continuous process.

Even though the Liberia National Police may be undergoing logistical difficulties, it also behooves its hierarchy to exert all efforts in ensuring the management of little it has to propel the movement and actions of the men and women in the field at any time of the day. In terms of priority, managing such limited resources/logistics would entail directing such to the fight against ‘midnight crimes’, including armed robbery.

In addition to the issue of limited logistics, it is also important for the hierarchy to ensure compliance/adherence to the ‘Special Operation Procedures or SOP” officers, as well as the men and women in the field without fear or favor. In so doing, they must ensure timeliness when call by citizens and residents to intervene in armed violence against them during midnight and early morning hours.

In as much there may be slight weakness in the strength of the LNP, regarding progress in the battle against armed robbery, the possibility of rejuvenating such progress by the officers, men and women may just be very high depending on the cooperation and support of the Liberian Legislature and Executive, especially those responsible (Budget Committee) to formulate the government’s fiscal budget.

It is important to first fully capacitate those who enforce the law and complain later, should they fail completely perform such statutory tasks, including crime prevention. While this must be, it is also important for the government’s partners to extend to the Liberia National Police gestures, in terms of logistics-vehicles, motor-cyclists, etc., etc, to ensure consistency in the fight against crimes, especially armed robbery, now resurfacing rapidly in Monrovia and its environs.