Editorial: Good Beginning LNP, But…

The Liberia National Police may appear or sound to be very relentless and vigilant in its efforts to ensure an environment of calm as our nation approaches this Holy Season, despite the logistical limitations. As part of its operations to ensure a Happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations, the LNP through its crime-battling units-the Emergency Response Unit and Police Support Unit is vigorously and uncompromisingly pursuing criminals, most especially armed robbers wherever they are in Monrovia and its environs, mainly the crime-prone Paynesville municipality.

As the result of such re-enforcement of its efforts, the police, through its Director, Colonel Chris Massaquoi, mid-last week, announced the arrest and detention of a number of notorious and heartless drug-driven armed robbers, including gang leader Amuagie Karpeh, who has always been arrested and detained, but seen back in communities perpetrating terrors against peaceful dwellers at midnights and early morning hours.

This aggressive and good beginning is further indicative of the fact that the hierarchy of the Liberia national Police may have re-strategized its operational ‘tactics’ ,eliminating its internal “short-circuits” which impeded its efforts to fight crimes, most especially armed robbery. This may have followed the discovery of connivers among the operational men and women, as recently confirmed and publicly announced by the Director of Police.

While Director Massaquoi and his Liberia National Police must be commended the initial effort amidst logistical constraints, they must also be urged to ensure stringent measures to put a halt to the reappearance of notorious and heartless Amuagie Karpeh and others in our respective communities.

As they continue to hunt such undesirable persons, who have chosen terror  against their compatriots as a career, the need for high concentration I on ‘ghettos’ in the city and surrounding municipalities must also be emphasized. It is no secret that the bravery exercised by armed robbers and other criminals in unlatching terrors on families and other innocent Liberians has narcotic drugs of all sorts as its sources. Such drugs continue to be sold in ‘ghettos’.

In view of the foregoing, the campaign/exercise must be extended to the ‘ghettos’ and those who operate such centers because, in essence, they too play an important role in facilitating armed robbery and other crimes. As a matter of fact, strategies for the crimes are always designed and planned in these ‘ghettos’.

Additionally, it is also important that Liberia National Police work closely with communities and neighborhoods in identifying homes/houses in which criminals live. The fight against crimes would be unachievable in the absence of tangible relationships with community/neighborhood dwellers as part of efforts to track unusual movements/activities.

The Administration of the Liberia National Police must be made to understand that these measures can only be successful through an effective and efficient public awareness through its department of Public Affairs. Such public awareness is achievable and impact-making with an experienced and well-capacitated public affairs office not on the basis of “just who is designated”, but someone well knowledgeable about the police operations and media relations as it was during the Late Joe Tate’s Leadership of the Liberia national Police some years ago.

As we advance these measures to the authorities of the LNP in the interest of a calm Liberian environment, especially during the ensuing festive season, we still insist on a “Joint-Security Operation” involving the Armed Forces of Liberia, National Security Agency, Bureau of Immigration and Drug Enforcement Agency to buttress the efforts of the Liberia National Police against armed robbery and other crimes throughout Liberia.

It is our fervent belief that that this may be the actual force required to either put end to hard-core crimes or minimized them in the various communities/neighborhoods across the country. There may be a specific “LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY THESE CRIMINALS” that such Joint Force may understand in their interactions.