By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to properly and judiciously carryout its mandate the Sierra Leone Police on Friday 10 January 2020, launched its strategic development plan for 2020-2024 at its Headquarters on George Street in Freetown.
In his statement while launching the Strategic Development Plan (2020-2024) Minister of Internal Affairs, Edward Soloku, disclosed that his Ministry oversees the Sierra Leone Police, the institution responsible for maintaining the internal security of the State, adding how the Strategic Plan will be a guide and help citizens to know which direction the SLP is moving in discharging their duties
He applauded the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Richard Moigbe and the entire membership of the Force for holding the fort adding that there have been some improvements on the operations of the Police but urged them to double their efforts.
The Minister called on all Sierra Leoneans to support the SLP saying it is the responsibility of everybody to ensure that the State is secured.
He noted that the Plan set out five strategic priority areas for the next five years which he underscored are the core businesses of the Force to carry out their mandate.
Minister Soluku further noted that the accountability framework of the SLP is another strategic area highlighted in the plan which he said is very important for the development of the SLP.
The Internal Affairs Minister assured the SLP that tremendous efforts will be made to ensure that the SLP is adequately resourced in order to roll out the Strategic Development Plan 2020-2014 stressing that it will help the Police to build public confidence and become formidable.
Deputy Head of ISAT, Mark Katta, also expressed appreciation to the Sierra Leone Police for the tremendous work they have been doing over the past years. He said ISAT is proud to have been working alongside the SLP, adding that the Strategic Development Plan represents the views of Sierra Leoneans as before the launch of the plan for 2020-2024 there was a perception survey to seek the views of Sierra Leoneans on the activities and operations of the Police.
He disclosed how ISAT has helped the Police with the printing of three thousand (3.000) copies of the strategic development plan.
Inspector General of Police, Dr. Richard Moigbe, in his statement informed that the strategic development plan 2020-2024 is not only important but timely for the Sierra Leone Police, adding that the document cuts across all sectors of the Police.
He noted that strategic development plan is an embodiment of various views as they were captured widely on how they want to see the Force.
The IG added that the Police assured Sierra Leoneans that at the end of the implementation of the strategic development plan (2020-2024) activities the SLP would have contributed to the achievement of the internal security strategy of the State.
In her presentation, Director of Corporate Affairs, AIG Memunatu Borah Konteh Jalloh, disclosed that the objective of putting together such a Strategic Development Plan (SDP) is to keep the people of Sierra Leone safe by working with partners to prevent crime and to protect the people, underscoring how achieving that could help enhance a very cohesive and fruitful relationship with the communities they serve, and eventually reducing crime and harm across those communities.
She noted that the SDP represents the contributions, views, feedbacks and perceptions of the general public, partners, officers and staff, disclosing that a perception survey was conducted to seek the opinions of Sierra Leoneans across the country about what they think about the Sierra Leone Police and what it should do in the future.
AIG Memunatu Borah Konteh Jalloh extended appreciation to the International Security Advisory for their continuous support to the Sierra Leone Police, and called on other Ministries, Departments and Agencies to support them in achieving what are encapsulated in the strategic development plan.
