Monrovia – The former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and CEO of Crime Stoppers Liberia, Sam Saryon, has sounded a warning over the rise in street violence and vigilante justice in Liberia, describing it as a direct threat to national stability and legal order.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
Speaking on Tuesday, April 22, as guest speaker at the induction ceremony of the student leadership at A.M.E. Zion Academy in Monrovia, Saryon called on students to take their education seriously and emerge as defenders of peace, discipline, and the rule of law.
“We appreciate the efforts of parents and school administrators working hard to keep students in school,” he told the audience. “But these efforts must be matched by students who are serious about their education. Your future and the future of Liberia depend on how well you prepare today.”
Highlighting the dangers of mob justice, Saryon said the increasing tendency among citizens to take the law into their own hands is alarming. He cited disturbing public displays of lawlessness—even among state security personnel.
“Have you not seen police officers and soldiers fighting in the streets? Do you know what message that sends to the world? Liberia has its own form of justice, one that’s based on anger, not law. But that is not the case. We are all subject to the rule of law,” he said.
Saryon emphasized that student conduct today reflects future national leadership. He said a lack of discipline at the school level often translates into disregard for national laws and public responsibility.
“Discipline starts here. If there’s no security, there’s no free movement. Safety begins with us,” he noted.
Raising concerns about neighborhood watch groups, Saryon warned that many so-called community security outfits, often armed with cutlasses and crude weapons, are becoming a source of insecurity themselves. He revealed that some of these groups are now associated with criminal activities.
“Instead of vigilante-style groups, we should return to neighborhood-oriented policing. Communities should be empowered with a code system to easily detect and report crime,” he advised. “We need to ensure that our communities are safe, and anything that holds us back must be left behind.”
He also addressed the broader socio-economic realities, noting that Liberia’s worsening economy is pushing children out of school and into the streets. He referenced President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s campaign promise to remove children from street vending, a pledge he said has yet to materialize.
“The situation has worsened, and people are beginning to give up,” Saryon stated. “Montserrado County deserves better. We must not continue down a path that reflects negatively on us.”