Monrovia – On Thursday, June 14 several owners of beaches and entertainment centers held a consultative meeting with the Liberia National Police aimed at stopping students from skipping classes to attending ‘Super Friday’ at beaches and entertainment centers.
Report by Bettie Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
The meeting followed the lunch of “Operation to Preserve the Future”.
The police say there have been numerous complaints from the public on the deliberate involvement of students – mostly teenagers – in the use, sale, possession and abuse of narcotics drugs.
“High school students have been noticed on beaches, in clubs and other public areas on Friday during school hours, referring to it as ‘Super Fridays’, a day they consider as Merry Making and fun time,” said Inspector General Patrick Sudue after the meeting.
“During this time, young children are introduced to the abuse, possession, and sale of narcotics, an act that pushes our youthful generation and students not to respect the authority while consuming such harmful substances.”
IG Sudue said it is the statutory mandate of the police to maintain order in preserving the future.
The operation shall last for four simultaneous Fridays including June 8, 15, 22, and 29.
He said the Police have established intelligence that students are usually in color clothes with bags, and mingling with criminals in ghettoes and on beaches.
It is affirmed that people in such environment, for the fear of being arrested and under the influence are usually in possession of sharp instruments as weapons for self- defense, the police boss said.
Additionally, he said the concentration of the LNP will be to arrest, investigate, detain and release to parents of students between the age of 12 and 20 years that are seen on beaches.
Col. Sudue said the plan is in three phases – Actual and post-operational – and the police will deploy uniformed patrol officers at the intersections and entrances of beaches and clubs during school hours to prevent children entering.
The police said it will prepare four tactical vehicles, three containing police support unit (PSU) and one containing Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to enter every beaches and club to raid any person identified and believed to be students and young persons.
IG Sudue said deployment of the officers will be no later than 6:00 Am and admonished officers to use the firearms and other weapons policy as a guide during the operations.
Meanwhile, the entertainers and beach owners pledged their support in working with the police to end ‘Super Friday’.
They promised to close their business centers on Friday from 6 am- 3 pm so as to safeguard children.
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