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| Police Chief Decries Limited Budget, Cars |
| Published on July 14, 2010 | Email To Friend Print Version
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Police Inspector General Marc Amblard has called for increased budgetary support to the Liberia National Police to enable the force maintains its fight against violent crimes.
Mr. Amblard said the Police is in dire need of financial support to enable it acquire the needed logistics including the procurement, repairing and maintenance of vehicles to enhance its functions.
The Police Chief said because of limited budgetary allocation the LNP has not been able to acquire about 150 vehicles it needs for transportation alone, while dozens others were parked due to lack of maintenance.
“We estimate and what we need to effectively do our work…we estimated we need about a hundred and fifty vehicles … just for basic transport,” Mr. Amblard said last Wednesday when he addressed journalists during a press conference at UNMIL headquarters in Monrovia.
“We are far short of the 150, in fact, we only have 26,” the Police Chief lamented, while responding to journalist on what had happened to donated and parked vehicles at the NLP headquarters.
“Our major concern is to address the situation. It is not in our interest to have those cars parked. There must be a very good reason why these cars are parked,” the Police Chief noted, pointing to budgetary constraints and the alleged failure of the Ministry of Finance to understand the need for maintenance and repair of vehicles.
The LNP has received a total direct budgetary allocation of approximately US$26 million between 2006 and now from the Government, plus several logistical support including used and new vehicles and motorbikes from friendly governments.
The LNP got a budgetary allocation of about US$ 3.8 million in the 2006/07, US$6.2 million in the 2007/08, US$7.3 million in the 2008/09 and a recommended US$ 9.4 million in the 2009/10 fiscal years.
But Police sources said the force needs even more than the allocated amount based on the intricacies of its work: fighting crimes, saving lived and properties, and responding to emergency situations.
“Let me tell you Mr. Journalist, we need to have our own boat and at least a helicopter to be able to respond to situations in Maryland, Lofa and Nimba Counties and other parts of the country as immediately as possible when we are needed, but here is it we can't even repair all those cars,” the anonymous senior police officer told this writer yesterday at the Police headquarters on Capitol Bye Pass.
This writer had gone to seek permission to photograph the scores of vehicles parked in the LNP compound, which are said to be in need of repair, but was denied and requested to return today (Monday July 12).
Further addressing journalist, Mr. Amblard said because the Police limited budget can not procure many brand new vehicles, the authorities decided to buy less expensive vehicles in bulk to cover the gap, with an understanding that the supplier would provide spare parts and training for maintenance.
But the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Amblard lamented, has not listened to the need for maintenance, to avoid constant buying of vehicles, and has failed to make funds for repair and maintenance. “Therefore, these vehicles ore parked.”
Mr. Amblard however stated that by “the end of this year you will see a difference in that area.” He said things are improving gradually and the police are making some progress. “It will not be done at once,” Amblard said.
“But it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge some of the LNP's challenges. These are uncertain times and the Government of Liberia and our development partners both face economic constraints. These limit our resources including the number of police vehicles in our fleet and the amount of salary that we can pay a patrol officer,” Amblard said.
He said: I am in charge of a new police force whose officers are not as well rewarded as they deserve for the difficult job they do in often very challenging working conditions. We should all recognize that these courageous men and women are all members of communities themselves. Every day they achieve amazing things with next to nothing - from arresting armed robbers to rescuing a woman from a swamp.”
He said police officers put themselves in danger when others turn away, adding that these brave officers should be respected by all stakeholders, including the media, as they carry out their demanding tasks with very little in the way of resources to help them. Writes D.K. Sengbeh
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