Special Column: Guest bloggers

Defending neighborhood security in Monrovia: Night patrols & Community vigilance

The current police force in the Liberian capital Monrovia is unable to combat an increase in violent crime, according to
a recent independent report and many of the city’s residents have created their own civil defence groups. I remember when the house care-taker, a fellow that works at our residential compound have to leave an hour early from work to join the vigilant patrol in his neighborhood. He also added that the group is equipping themselves with maschettis and wooden stick when combing streets within their area.

“Armed robbery is on the increase in Monrovia and we are not convinced that our police force can handle this type of crime,” said a community leader in the crime-prone suburb of Paynesville in the east of Monrovia where locals have formed patrols.

In another Monrovia suburb, New Kru Town, Nyononti Darbgeh, who supervises a civilian night patrol team there, said the situation is so bad, “We have no choice but to provide security for ourselves.”

The UN and Liberian police officials in Monrovia confirmed that crime has been steadily increasing in recent months with 47 reported cases of violent assault and theft from March to April.  Just yesterday night, I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity to witness and documenting the on-going night patrols implemented jointly by the Indian Formed Female Police Unit and the Liberian National Police, strolling the night walking the dark passages, of the inner avenues and alleyway in areas like Sinkor, Congo Town and downtown Monrovia.

That particular night, there was 5 units of joint patrols, each unit consist of 4-5 Indian Police women officer, fully geared with helmets, protective vest and of course - the assault rifle and tear gas cannisters, while the Liberian counterpart remain unarmed. There are foot and vehicular patrols, executed every night covering most areas of the city of Monrovia led by the Indian female formed-police unit.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which has been overseeing security in the war-ravaged country, started a programme in 2004 to train 3,500 police by June 2007 and police officials shared to the newspaper in Liberia that that number has since increased to 6,000.  The national police is still undergoing series of on-going revitalization and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been assisting in implementing a national crime prevention strategy.

However, what I can sense through various people I talked with, they say that community leaders feel worried/concerned once UNMIL downsizes its 15,000-strong force which is planned to start in September 2008. I can imagine how the crime rate especially armed robbery would be worsening.

Addressing the issue, as put on the news that training of an elite team of 500 police officers will soon be undertaken by DynCorp, a private American security contractor. Whereby the Quick Reaction Unit [QRU], as the team will be called, will be trained by leading international police trainers to tackle-down armed threats.

As we walked further, in that night patrols, I also chatted with few of the Indian formed police women. One patrol leader said that crime actions normally takes place beyond midnight to dawn, ranging from small burglary to murder. The local people whom we passed on our patrol route expressed their appreciations to the fact that we are safeguarding their nights and able to sleep better.

Apart from the effort borne by UNMIL and the Liberian police authority, still the securing the neighborhood remain the sole responsibility of the people who lives there. What would you say if this same situation happens in your community, care to share your thoughts?