Female Police officers assured of more support
Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman says for toolong female officers at the Liberia National Police or LNP havesuffered discrimination, pledging to give more support toskills-development and elevation on the basis of merits. Col. Colemanwas speaking Friday morning, 7 October at the LNPHeadquarters on Capitol Hill at the launch of a ProfessionalDevelopment Fund for Female Officers, sponsored by the InternationalDevelopment Law Organization or IDLO.
Under the IDLO program, 42 female officers and three male officers,who have successfully passed interviews, will attend any university oftheir choice here in Liberia. Inspector General Coleman said he differed with the argument that theLNP does not havecompetent women, saying the opportunity has not been given to thewomen to prove themselves.
He expressed confidence that where female officers are givenopportunity to advance their skills, they will ensure significantsuccess, expressing belief in their ability and preparedness for the challenge.
He said the beneficiaries did not pass the interviews on the basis ofpersonal contacts, rather suggesting that they all justified theirselection. But the police chief reminded the beneficiaries of a commitmentreached to serve the LNP for at least two years following the programbefore moving on to leave the service.
He said the LNP Administration will continue to support the femaleofficers, and encouraged them to draw the administration’s attentionof any unfair treatment of any female officer by anyone.
He warned that the police will not condone any harassment of femaleofficers, warning that anyone caught would be drastically dealt with .IDLO Representative Teresa Mugadza indicated that the female beneficiaries werebecoming representatives of excellence within the LNP, and assuredthat the institution will offer its help to them if the officersneeded it.
She praised the beneficiaries for being selected on the basis ofmerits and not for whom they knew, saying they went through interviewsand they did well.
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By Winston W. Parley
