Police re-echoe elections commitment

Liberia’s Police Inspector General Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman, has recommitted the Liberia National Police’s willingness to work with all political parties and candidates during the course of the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections.

The police chief’s reaffirmation of the institution’s commitment is aimed at dismissing any fear of police prejudice. The Liberia National Police says in a statement issued on Tuesday, 4 July that Col. Coleman says the LNP sees the forthcoming elections as pivotal to the country’s emerging democracy.

Col. Coleman says his primary focus is to provide a more professional policing service to the public during and after the elections, but stressed that the commitment of all actors in the political sphere of the country is needed.

He says the LNP is holding regular discussions with major actors in the electoral process to include civil society organizations and the media for the sole purpose of confidence building leading to the elections.

The LNP Inspector General adds that as part of the police’s commitment to the process, the LNP will assign three police officers to all political parties during the campaign period to serve as liaisons between the parties and the police for smooth interaction.

IGP Coleman notes that the provision of a conducive security environment is a matter of concern to the elections security management board, adding that “we are all concerned about the pending elections and are working collectively in making sure that the electoral process is handled without any major incident that will question the credibility of the country’s security apparatus”.

Commenting on logistics for the police ahead of the elections, the LNP boss says that it is a matter of concern to the police, but quickly adds that the government is showing strong commitment in providing the needed logistics for the police.

He says his administration is also lobbying with some international partners to assist the police with logistics for the elections.

At the sametime, the LNP has expressed regret over the dysfunctional nature of some traffic lights in the city and its environs. The police have attributed the problem to the heavy downpour of rains in recent weeks, but say officers are being assigned to these troubled lights to provide assistance to road users.

The Police say they working with the Ministry of Public Works to have the lights functional in the soonest of time. — Press release