By Sahr Ibrahim Komba
Caritas organised a Police and Youth Dialogue session on 20 September at Kondi Hall, Yams Farm -Western Area Rural District, Freetown.
The Police and Youth dialogue was held under the co-funding support of Trocaire CAFOD and Agiamondo – Civil Peace Service through Caritas Sierra Leone and implemented by Caritas Freetown.
The program was centred on the prevention of conflict between the Police (OSD) and Youth with the theme “Prevention and managing violence Election-related conflict between the OSD and the Youth”.
Speaking at the program, the Executive Director of Caritas Freetown, Reverend Father Peter Konteh, said the program aims at promoting greater understanding and duologue between the Police, Electoral Commission and the Youth on the prevention and Managing of Elections- related conflict and their roles and responsibilities in ensuring an enabling peaceful environment for the election.
He said further that the security services, especially the police, have a central role in preventing violence and in ensuring peaceful voter registration, political rallies, transportation of sensitive election materials and keeping peace on the day of polls, noting that the youth also have an indispensable role to play in determining Sierra Leone’s progress towards a more peaceful and democratic and prosperous country.
He added that the police (OSD) should contribute to the promotion of peace stability and democratic values in Sierra Leone and support better policing and youth participation, which are good practices during electoral process.
The Commanding Officer Family Support Unit (FSU), Inspector Michael Gbeteh, said that every citizen should know his or her right in promoting peace during and after elections.
He stated that many youths do look at their responsibly in maintaining law and order but only focus on their rights, adding that rights and responsibilities go together in a democratic society.
The police are your friend and not your enemy he added.
He called on authorities to maintain impartiality when dealing with citizens and should not consider the police as enemies when implementing the laws, adding that the police should also maintain professionalism in carrying out their responsibilities as officers of the law.
Chairman for Bike Riders Union East District, Mohamed S. Turay, said that many of his colleagues’ bike riders have lost their lives in the hands of the police because of bad policing in the Central Business District (CBD) and right across the country adding that traffic offence is not a criminal offence in any society.
He said that the police should maintain restraint in enforcing the law in society because they are the force for good.
He thanked Caritas for bringing the youth especially bike riders and the police to interface and discuss the way forward in maintaining peace during and after elections.
He noted that this session would help the youth to express their concerns to the police and the police will in turn educate the youth about their rights and responsibilities in societies.
He cautioned the youth not to take the laws into their hand but to use the appropriate channel in making their concerns heard.
Youth Council Chairperson, Western Area Rural District, Mariam Marie Bangura, encouraged the youth to maintain a peaceful atmosphere as election period is fast approaching, adding that the youth and police should look at each other as one family.
She also cautioned the youth to stop taking drugs as it will affect their state of mind and advised the youth not to allow politicians to use them to perpetuate violence during election.
She called on government and other Agencies to provide job opportunities for youths, noting that if the youths are not employed, they will engage in violent activities adding that an idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
She also called on the police to maintain professionalism in doing their work.
Aloysius Kamara from Caritas Sierra Leone called on the Police to maintain the ‘The Force for Good’ motto.
He further added that the youth should also maintain peace and obey law and order in society.
He cautioned the public to be aware of the electoral laws in Sierra Leone and that whoever violates them will face the full force of the law.
He called on the Police to carry out their functions within the ambit of the law.
