The Inspector General (I.G.) of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Patrick T. Sudue has averred that the joint security of Liberia has made history, an impeccable lesson that should be copied by other security apparatus around the world.
I.G. Sudue who is also the Chairman of the Joint Security of Liberia, noted that this is the first in the history of all protects around the world, for security personnel in the face of provocation, to provide water and soft drinks for protestors while maintaining peace as was done during the June 7, 2019 protest led by the Council of Patriots (COP).
Speaking Friday June 21, 2019, in Sinkor, 12th Street, when he was honored and certificated by a media advocacy group, Media Alliance for Democratic Governance (MADE), the Police Chief explained that the current police including the Joint Security have been transformed with skills to prevent chaos and rioting during mass gathering as well as to foster engagements with communities.
According to him, protests which recently occurred in countries across the world including Honk Kong, Sudan and neighboring Sierra Leone were violently put down by security forces thus inflating wounds on peaceful citizens and in some cases death; stressing that on the contrary, the three past protests in Liberia including the mass June 7, 2019 gathering went on peacefully without a single incident of violence.
He clarified that the huge presence of the joint security on the streets of Monrovia and environs on the eve of the June 7, 2019 protest was to exhibit what he termed as “Show of Force” in a bid to deter would be terrorists with the intension to infiltrate the June 7, 2019 protest from unleashing their devilish plan.
The Police boss also refuted claims from some members of the public, mainly the Council of Patriots that people that were been conveyed in buses from the leeward counties to join the June 7, 2019 protest were prevented by the joint security because they did not have citizens identification cards; adding that had it been so, these people and the buses conveying them would have been on social media.
Hon. Sudue who disclosed that he was impacting into the police and joint security skills he acquired in conflict mitigation and peace maintenance while working with the United Nations system stressed that under his administration, the police will remain professional void of reproachable behaviors including harassment, molestation, humiliation, brutalization and aggressive posture against citizens no matter the situation.
He admonished all Liberians to see the police as collaborating partners and as such should help them with information to quell criminal activities in their various areas as is being done by the Community Watch Teams across the country. “This peace we now have must be jealously guided by all Liberians because it did not come on a silver platter; this peace was fought for, people lose their lives, and our people when from one country capital city to another just to institute this peace we are now enjoying and as such we all must ensure that it is protected perpetually, He intimated.”
Speaking earlier, the National Coordinator of MADE, Joseph F. Charlie said his media group was recognizing and certificating the police boss as Liberia’s Peace Custodian for the ongoing transformation in the police especially when it comes to handing mass protest on June 7, 2019.
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