By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
I was raised to respect the uniform. I was taught that when a man or woman puts on that blue uniform and steps out, they are to protect lives, enforce law and order, and serve with integrity. But today in Sierra Leone, that sacred symbol of public trust has become a dirty rag soaked in corruption, brutality and betrayal. No amount of detergent, no matter how potent, can cleanse the moral filth that now clings to the Sierra Leone Police.
This is not an emotional outburst. It is a raw, honest cry from the depth of patriotic pain. We are a people bleeding under the boots of those who were sworn to protect us. Our police force has gone rogue. They are no longer the guardians of peace. They are the enforcers of political terror. In Sierra Leone today, when the police show up, you do not feel safer. You feel fear. You lock your doors. You hide your phone. You lower your voice. Because these days, the truth can get you killed.
Let us speak plainly. The Sierra Leone Police has become a weapon for the ruling elite to silence dissent. Every regime that comes to power recruits the police as personal bodyguards and political thugs. The people’s tax-funded security institution has been turned into a tool of oppression. And the worst part is that they have perfected the art of justifying their actions with lies and fabricated charges, often painted as threats to national security or incitement of violence.
You do not have to look far. Ask the market woman whose stall was destroyed by the police in the name of order. Ask the university student brutalised for holding a placard demanding better conditions on campus. Ask the grieving family whose son disappeared during a protest, only for his body to be discovered dumped in a morgue days later. Ask any opposition supporter who dared challenge the government on social media and received a visit from plain-clothed officers. We are all victims of a force that has forgotten its purpose.
The rot runs deep. From traffic officers openly demanding bribes at checkpoints to senior officers selling promotions like tomatoes in Abacha Street, the police has become a mafia. You want to report a case. You better know someone inside. Otherwise, your file will gather dust while the criminal walks free. You want to avoid arrest on trumped-up charges. Just pay the right amount. You want justice. Forget it unless you are connected or wealthy.
We cannot pretend this is new. The institutional decay started long ago. From the days of Siaka Stevens when the Special Security Division was turned into a private militia, to the Tejan Kabbah era when regional and ethnic loyalties determined who got promoted. Ernest Bai Koroma continued the trend, embedding the police deeper into political calculations. But under the Bio administration, things have taken a darker turn. What we are now witnessing is state-sponsored policing with the sole aim of maintaining power by any means necessary.
In August 2022, over twenty young men were gunned down in cold blood for protesting against the rising cost of living and poor governance. The police called it a violent insurrection. No proper investigation followed. No one was held accountable. They want us to forget. But how can we forget when mothers are still weeping. When fathers are still waiting for answers. When the blood of innocent citizens still stains the streets of Freetown, Mile 91 and Lunsar.
This is not policing. This is terrorism with a badge.
Even within their ranks, honest officers are stifled. There are good men and women in the force. Patriots who joined to make a difference. But they are silenced, frustrated and sometimes forced out. Promotions are based on loyalty to political overlords, not merit. Training is poor. Discipline is weak. Accountability is non-existent. When a police officer abuses a civilian, the system protects the officer. When a civilian defends himself against police abuse, the system crushes him.
And let us not forget the countless reports of torture in police custody. From beatings to mock executions, Sierra Leone’s police cells have become chambers of horror. Lawyers are denied access. Bail is monetised. Human dignity is shredded. And when someone dies in custody, they simply cook up a report. He slipped and fell. He was already sick. He tried to escape. Lies upon lies. Death upon death.
The media, civil society and the international community have all been fed a rehearsed narrative. That the Sierra Leone Police is professionalising. That they are receiving training in human rights and modern policing. It is all a charade. Yes, they attend workshops. Yes, they receive foreign funding. But on the ground, it is business as usual. Violence. Extortion. Political witch-hunts. If anything, the training just makes them more sophisticated in how they cover up their crimes.
Since the days of Siaka Stevens, Momoh, President Kabba, President Ernest Bai Koroma to President Julius Maada Bio, the police are deeply involved in election rigging. They harass opposition candidates, deny them permits to rally and escort ballot boxes under the cover of darkness. During the 2023 elections, voters were beaten. Observers were intimidated. Civil servants who refused to toe the ruling party line were visited by officers with arrest warrants. The message was clear. Vote as we want or face the consequences. And they call this democracy.
But what pains us the most is how this institution has become a betrayal of the people’s hopes. After the civil war, we had a chance to rebuild. The police force could have been restructured into a true servant of the people. Instead, it was captured again by the same corrupt elites who see every institution as a means to consolidate power. And so the cycle continues.
The Sierra Leone Police uniform no longer commands respect. It instills dread. It is no longer a badge of honour. It is a mask of oppression. And while I still respect what that uniform should represent, I cannot ignore what it has become. It is filthy not just with mud and sweat, but with the blood of our youth, the tears of our mothers and the shame of a nation that pretends not to see.
What is the way forward?
We must demand a complete overhaul of the police force. Not just reforms on paper, but a re-founding of the institution. Every officer must be re-vetted. Promotions must be based on performance, not politics. Training must be practical and values-based. A genuine independent police complaints board must be established with the power to prosecute officers, not just investigate them. And no one, I repeat, no one should be above the law. Not even the Inspector General.
We must also remove the police from political control. The President must not appoint the police chief at will. Parliament must play a role in confirming top police officials. There must be clear separation between the police and any ruling party. Policing must serve the Constitution, not State House.
But above all, we must raise our voices. Silence is no longer an option. Every citizen who wants change must speak out. The police will not clean themselves. The politicians will not fix what they benefit from. It is up to us, the people, to demand a new culture of accountability, justice and service.
I still respect the idea of the police. I still believe in the power of law to protect the weak and punish the wicked. But in Sierra Leone today, that idea has been murdered. And until we rise to reclaim it, the uniform will remain what it is. A dirty rag worn by those who no longer serve the people.
Let the truth be told. Let the healing begin
Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Human Rights Advocate, Writer and Pan-Africanist People.
