By Leila B. Gbati
The Liberia National Police (LNP) through Deputy Police Inspector General for Operations, Marvin Sackor, has issued an alert for members of the public to report any incident of anyone impersonating as officer of the LNP.
The police alert comes in the wake of recent reports of increased harassment and intimidation of peaceful citizens by individuals impersonating as police officers.
On countless occasions, citizens have complained in recent times of being terrorized by individuals claiming to be police- aide, mostly found in market places and vehicular traffic.
Howbeit, LNP Deputy IG Sackor told state-radio Thursday that citizens should not hesitate to alert the police of any such fake officers, claiming to be a member of the LNP.
He disclosed that there is nothing under the law or within the LNP that called police-aide.
Sackor officers wearing the LNP uniform are those recruited, trained and placed in the force to exercise national duties, stating that the LNP did not recruit anyone as police-aide.
He indicated that under Liberian law, the ordinary person cannot wear police uniform except those officially hired by government, emphasizing that drastic action awaits police officers who are in the habit of giving their government-issued uniforms out to people who were not hired by government, and are using these uniforms to harass innocent and peaceful people.
The police Deputy IG for operations noted that those claiming to be police-aide, if they desire to provide the LNP voluntary services such as cleaning offices at police depots, as volunteers, the LNP would accept such volunteer work, but not for such individuals to wear police uniform and exercise duties and functions delegated to officers that were recruited and trained.
He reiterated that members public should not hesitate in reporting to the LNP those caught impersonating as officers of the LNP, or exercising duties and functions delegated unto the police, but calling themselves police-aides, stressing that all police officers have identification card, and therefore, any officer who fails to identify herself or himself in the rightful manner should be reported to the LNP for investigation and punitive action.
