In a bid to meet the challenge of rising crime in the city, Lumley Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has called on partners to offer more support.

“We already have many resources such as vehicles and fuel supplied for by Government but we could use additional resources,” says CID Inspector Kamanoh.

He has worked as a police officer in Sierra Leone for 20 years. He sometimes ends up having to pay for food for the detained suspects of crime held in the cell at the division out of his own pocket.

“That is my duty as the officer in charge to do that. I have to make sure I take care of prisoners and that they are in good health,” he says.

Three months ago the UN donated four containers to try to ease the congestion of the division. One is being used as a Support and Operational office, another for Traffic and two for restrooms. The structure of the division is too small to accommodate all the offices they need to run the operations. The land on which the Division lays is large, and could accommodate more structures.

“The Division is too small for the amount of crime we see,” says another Inspector.

In that day alone when SALONE TIMES visits, they have already apprehended three suspects. The only cell the prison has is tiny, not even big enough for prisoners to lie down in. Inspector Kamanoh stresses that the officers in the division always do things according to law.

“In our Division, we respect Human Rights. We don’t arrest indiscriminately,” he says.

He goes on to say that the Division’s main aim is for people in the area to be secure.

“We do this by being proactive. We prevent crimes from happening. We also work with Military officers and police patrol the beach at all hours of the night,” he says.

Lumley Police Officers also face many threats from accused criminals.

“We are the public enemy,” says Inspector Kamanoh.

On the day that SALONE TIMES visits, the Inspector has already received one death threat from a suspect they had apprehended that was released by the court.

He would like to see the courts support the officers more in bringing criminals to justice.

“Sometimes we arrest suspects, they are released by the courts and then we become targets,” he says.

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Author: Ibrahim Joenal Sessay
Photography: Ibrahim Joenal Sessay
Source: jhr
Original Publication Date: Dec. 4, 2009