But who is the mob ?
The real test if a police force has changed lies in the public opinion. A name change and new crispy uniforms are hardly enough.
The Police in Northern Ireland has managed to make the transition from the overly partisan former Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which is widely accepted by both Nationalists and Unionists. But it took massive changes in policing procedures, recruiting and the creation of an independent oversight body, the police ombudsman, under the leadership of the energetic Nuala O`Loan.
The Liberian National Police (LNP) has clearly failed in making this transition. The LNP has taken in many new recruits, all of which have been vetted to ensure that no one with a record of human rights abuse would end up in the new LNP. But the old spirit has survived, and so have the old ways of augmenting their salaries. They are still referred to as ” 5 Dollar Police” by the public after the standard bribe or “cold water” extracted form taxi drivers for any alleged traffic violation.
Foreigners pay more. A missionary was hauled to the local police station recently and told that since he had no immigration papers on him he would be jailed for two days. His assurances that his papers were in order (they were) and that he could get and present them within half an hour came to naught. Knowing that he would hardly survive the police cell intact, he paid them off with 50 USD.
In most countries the usage of police car lights and sirens are strictly regulated. They can only be used if life or substantive values are in immediate danger, or in pursuit of criminals. In Liberia LNP uses these emergency signals to advertise that they are above the law. Driving in Monrovia one is frequently overtaken by LNP pick-up trucks with lights flashing and sirens wailing which are clearly not on urgent police business. I was once passed by a pickup truck. For sound, view and driving style the car could have been in hot pursuit, but is was loaded with rattan chairs, drawers, a mirror, in short the complete household of some important police officer. In most countries this kind of behavior would earn the driver a stern reprimand. Here it is seen as a right.
The main test for any police force is if the citizens actually trust the police to help them when they are the victim of a crime. LNP has for a long timed aired an embarrassing commercial using the “Ghostbusters” song from Ray Parker Junior, suggesting that they are indeed the answer. The commercial is really kind of funny because it is made so cheaply. At the end of the line ” When there’s something wrong in the neighborhood – Whom you gonna call ? ” a dissonant chorus shouts ” ELL- ENN – PEEH”.
In reality most Liberian who need help immediately see little reason to call LNP. And why should they? Dialing 911 in New York will get you a police dispatcher, no matter at what time you call. Calling the same number in Monrovia, will most of the time get no response at all. The phone just keeps ringing. Or you are faced with a police officer who, after you have explained to him that there is an armed robbery going on in your house, shouts “You are lying” and slams down the receiver. (1)
Calling a local police station does not help much either. You might be told that “there is no fuel in the car”, and that you have to provide the fuel if you want them to come. (2)
Reassuring words to hear, especially considering the four guys with machetes outside hacking through your front door. International staff in Monrovia does not even bother to call LNP anymore. Instead they call UNMIL´s Zulu Base, where you will get an answer, and even support. The local population has increasingly opted for another way of protection. All over Monrovia “vigilante” groups or “neighborhood watch” groups are mushrooming. Their members are unemployed youths, in the age between 15 and 25. During the day, the go around and ask the residents for a small donation of 10 – 20 Liberian Dollars or a glass of tea, and by night they “patrol” the area armed with machetes.
As a response to the recent increase in violence Liberian Politicians and LNP itself suggest that the police should be re-armed with guns. This idea is strongly opposed by many UNMIL and CIVPOL internationals, most vociferously by those who work with LNP. One of them went so far as to say privately that if LNP would be re-armed the number of crimes committed with guns would increase substantially. Outgoing UNMIL Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Isaac Obiakor has recently backed that view. In an unusually candid interview he stated that re-arming LNP would no curb the increasing violence but might instead drive it up. He noted that re-arming LNP might leas to the public re-arming as well, and added, “I will say LNP do not necessarily need to be armed. Yes, except you want to start another war” (Arming Police is “Disaster”, New Democrat, Monrovia, 04 July 2008, p.1)
There is one thing the General forgot to mention. Should LNP be armed with guns again, the price of standard bribes will go surely up. A man with a gun will no longer be content with 5 Liberian Dollars.
(1) This incident was described to me by a European CIVPOL officer working inside the LNP headquarter, who was on duty when the call came, and could not believe the reaction of the LNP officer either.
(2) see quotation from New Democrat Newspaper in this blog below.
