CITIZENS BUREAU FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY
Background
On Thursday April 16, 2015 in the suburb of Monrovia, Red-light, Liberia’s capital, a violent riot ensued between the police and commercial motor-bike riders. The police are accused for starting the riot by allegedly striking a motor-bike rider with a baton which resulted to the death of that rider. The violent acts led to burning down of a Police depot and vandalizing of businesses by criminal minded individuals. The police have since arrested some individuals charged and sent them to court for trial. Given the incident the Citizens Bureau issued the below press statement on April 27, 2015 in Monrovia, Liberia, through FMs radio stations in Monrovia, Liberia.
Press-Statement
With respect to the motor-bike riders and LNP recent Red-Light violent incident, there is a need for open communication between bike-riders and the LNP. This is so because court solution is not always the best as we seek for permanent conflict solution. After the court’s decision we will have to go back and work together as motor-bike riders and LNP, but it must be based on trust which is lacking in our system, that give reason for support to our style of policing-through the Citizens Bureau Community Justice Initiative that is engaging in building trust between the public and the police as Police and Community building trust-scheme.
Meanwhile we do seized this opportunity to register our regrets with respect to the Peace loving people of Liberia and tax payer for the embarrassment this incident in Red-Light may have cause them. We are aware that commuters who normally used motor-bikes in the red-light area are no longer receiving such services; while others, will have to yet exonerate themselves from charges against them by the Liberia National Police; not forgetting those who lost their belongings. As we seek ways and means to end the vicious cycle of violence in our communities it is important to state that, the bike-riders’ union and Police continuously collaborate and share ideas for permanent solutions to the motor-bike riders-police violence. Lot need to be said and for sure they are already stated through various channel by the general public. We’ll appreciate that speedy investigation around the violence in the Red Light area on April 16, 2015 is conducted.
That said, the police as an organization, need to realize that they must be responsive and accountable to citizens’ concerns, in line of duty to earn their (citizens) respect; which, of course is threatened as the result of the lack of trust building scheme. The support of the Citizens must be won, not assumed. In line with the above we hereby recommend:
- That mediation tactics be employed for sustainable conflict solutions.
Best,
John Kamma
Executive Director
