Police Chief in Sierra Leone Calls for Collaborative Effort in Fighting Crime

Police Chief Brima Acha Kamara

Sierra Leone’s Inspector-General of Police, Brima Acha Kamara has stated that the issue of national security involves the collective responsibility every citizen of the state as. According to him, the force is trying to meet the challenges as far as the provision of state security is concerned but was quick to point that  it is only when they are supported by the public that they are bound to succeed. He spoke to Newstime Africa Monday August 31^st at his George Street office in Freetown. ‘We are working everyday to ensure, the needed security is provided. That is our national duty and we shall continue to do that but the public needs to support us continuously’

Brima Acha Kamara said, as a force, they are responsible for the internal security of the state but however cautioned that despite the effort of the police, if the citizens decide not to support them, it would be disastrous. ‘The public can continue in supporting us by providing us with the relevant information in the fight against crime…’said Acha

Speaking further, Kamara said, with the existence of the Community Policing Partnership Board, the public can give vital intelligence to the force as that could lead to major arrests, thus reducing crime rate in the country’ Asked about the security situation in the country, he confidently said, ‘Freetown is the safest cities in the sub region, but that notwithstanding we still shall continue to ensure, things don’t get bad’

The Police Force has over  the years worked hard in ensuring that, security is provided for the people of the country and it has been working with the local communities in that direction. And according to the Police Boss, ‘the establishment of the Community Policing was one of several ways we have ensured the involvement of citizens in the fight against crime’

He said , the Local Policing Partnership Board takes into consideration the needs of local policing and that over the years, this system of policing has proved to be  successful. ‘With this system in place, we keep getting information from the people although we still have a lot of expectations from the general public’.

He also spoke of how the force has tried in ensuring that decision making process is not only limited to Freetown. ‘The decentralization process is not limited to the central government but it is reflected in the operations of the police force in the country,’ he said. He started that, each of the provinces; north, south east and west now has an Assistant Inspector General who takes decision without coming down to the city for approval.  ‘This has ensured that decision making for the police is not centralized as it used to be before when all decisions were taken at Police Headquarters’, Acha Kamara said

Asked to comment on allegations that they have  for most time failed to adequately and properly communicate with the people, he said, as a force, they believe in public communication  but however stated that not all will be well at all times.  Politically, the force was accused of not be neutral, especially following the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. However, Brima Acha Kamara said ‘we were very neutral. We tried our best to police those elections in a professional manner’, he said

He paid tribute to President Ernest Bai Koroma for ensuring that there is no political interference in the operations of the police, especially in a post conflict country like Sierra Leone.  He also commended the efforts of the security officers who have been trying to ensure they meet the security needs of the country.

Brima Acha Kamara was appointed as the country’s Inspector-General of Police some six years ago by the recent past government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Within these six years as Police Boss, he spoke of having seen the good and ugly aspect of the job and revealed that ‘it is not easy to be the Head of the Police force since you are expected to ensure security for the country’, but appeared more religious when he stated that ‘when God, I have been able to serve the people of this country’

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