Monrovia – Maintaining peace and security following the drawdown of the United Nations Missions in Liberia (UNMIL) continue to raise eyebrows among Liberians.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – [email protected]
But efforts to have that peace maintained seem not to only be the concern of Liberians but foreign nationals as well, including the Swiss- based NGO Browier Trust Foundation.
The leadership of the Browier Trust Foundation, headed by its president, Felix Walz and principal board member Beat Jud say the international NGO has not only come to help the country by building educational infrastructures but also to embark on building a partnership between the Police and community to address the problem of teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and child labor.
As part of its effort to build the Police and community partnership, the Browier Trust Foundation held a one-day awareness program under the theme ‘maintaining national peace and security’ at the Immanuel Christian Academy on the S.D. Cooper Road in Paynesville on Saturday.
The program brought together officers of the Liberia National Police, community members, students, motorcyclists among others to discuss the issue of community policing, child labor, teenage pregnancy and drugs abuse.
Mr. Walz told the gathering that the initiative of the organization is to bring people together.
“We are here is to bring people together as we cannot work in isolation and if the Police wants to be successful, it should be proactive,” said Walz.
Beat Jud said Liberia is a country of resources and could build a great economy if Liberians tread in the path of peace.
“This is my first visit to Liberia and I have come to see and know Liberians as they are very nice people and I want to tell them that the country has resources and can build a great economy if they work in the path of peace and not war,” he said.
Serving as keynote speaker for the program, Deputy Foreign Minister Elias Shoniyin speaking on the topic ‘the importance of community policing’ in the time of transition, stated that Liberians have attained 13 years of peace after years of a devastating war and it is incumbent upon every Liberian to work in the path of peace.
He stated that everyone sees the Police as a guardian but the Police cannot achieve its objective when the community cannot cooperate with the Police, indicating that trust is very cardinal in building community Police partnership.
“Community policing is a partnership to identify and solve community problems and that community should provide the mechanism for the deference of crimes,” said Deputy Minister Shoniyin who emphasized that the community should be familiar with the Police while the Police should also be familiar with community leaders.
Samuel McCarthy, chief of Community Services at the Liberia National Police told the gathering that there was a need to maintain the peace and that community policing is a shared responsibility in which the LNP is there to protect life and properties.