The Police and the People: Twins for Peace and Security

By Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe

Peace and security are the bedrock of every civilized society. In Liberia, this peace cannot be sustained without mutual trust, cooperation, and respect between the police and the people. The police and the people must be twins for peace and security inseparable partners in preserving the nation’s stability.

Police officers are not strangers among us; they are members of our communities sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters trained to protect the individual and collective security of all. They carry both the flag and the seal of the Republic of Liberia, symbols of national authority and dignity. Therefore, to assault a police officer is not only to attack the individual but to attack the Republic itself. Conversely, any mistreatment of the people by the police is an act of disrespect to the same flag and seal they wear.

When a police officer is humiliated, injured, or killed in the line of duty, it is a tragedy and a loss for the nation. Likewise, when a citizen is humiliated or killed by the police in the process of enforcing the law, especially when the citizen is unarmed or restrained it becomes a crime, not law enforcement. It is a violation of the very law that the officer swore to uphold. Both situations diminish our nation’s dignity and weaken public confidence in the criminal justice system.

No citizen should ever encourage or participate in the burning of a police station or the assault or killing of a police officer. To do so is not an act of courage but a demonstration of a lack of love for country and a criminal offense. He who seeks the protection of the law must respect the law, for there is no illegal means to obtain legal redress or defend one’s rights. A culture of peace is impossible without respect for the law.

I have seen both sides of the coin. As former Solicitor General of Liberia, I lectured many times at the National Police Training Academy on criminal procedure and the legal framework for policing. On the other hand, as a human rights defender, I have filed writs of habeas corpus and other proceedings against the police, over the years. In fact, I have been a victim of police brutality myself. Additionally, I served as Chairman of the Police Civilian Complaints Review Board when I was President of the Liberian National Bar Association. I speak, therefore, from experience, not theory.

I know that when the people see the police as a friend, crime control becomes easier. But friendship like respect and love must be earned. The burden is on the police to conduct themselves in a manner that strengthens their relationship with individual citizens, residents, and communities. They are the ones that have been formally trained by the state to maintain law and order, not the ordinary citizens.

Community policing transforms the police into a true force for good. The police must, at all times, be people-friendly. No officer should use excessive force in the process of enforcing the law. In fact, no officer should use force when it is unnecessary. A true officer of peace must remain calm even in the face of verbal attacks or provocation. The test of courage in policing is not how swiftly one retaliates, but how firmly one maintains self-control in defense of the law and human dignity. There is a line in the police that calls on the police to “ maintain courageous calm in the face of danger.”

Equally important, the police must stop collecting bribes. A police officer should warn, caution, or issue a ticket—not demand money. Every officer must remember that a bribe giver immediately loses respect for the receiver. The moment a police officer accepts a bribe, he instantly loses moral authority and public trust. Government is a place to serve, not to steal. Integrity is the foundation of policing; once it is lost, no uniform or rank can restore respect.

On the other hand, the people must respect the police at all times. A self-respecting and patriotic Liberian should never cheer or condone the assault of a police officer. The safety of the police is intertwined with the safety of the people they serve. When one side fails, both sides suffer.

Let this be the new understanding: police officers must convince the people, through professionalism, that the police are a force for good; and the people must cooperate with the police as guardians of peace. Together, the police and the people must work as inseparable twins for national security. When the police and the people stand united, Liberia stands strong. When they are divided, the nation trembles. Peace and security belong to both, and both must protect them. A better Liberia is possible when the people and the police maintain mutual respect.