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Crime Rate Soars in Lofa

The Inquirer (Monrovia)
NEWS
December 13, 2004
Posted to the web December 14, 2004

By Melissa Chea-Annan
Monrovia
...Police Chief, Dev. Supt. Appeal To NTGL, UNMIL
The police commander of Voinjama, Lofa County, Col. Stephen W. Bangalu says the
crime rate in Lofa County is on the increase.
Making the disclosure to our reporter on Friday in Voinjama City, Col. Bangalu
explained that crimes including theft of properties, among others, are being
committed by the youth, especially ex-combatants who are presently unemployed
and living in the area.
He said the criminals have gone to the extent of planting marijuana like flower
gardens in the various communities, something which he said has caused the rise
in the use of illicit drugs in the city.
Col. Bangalu indicated that he is worried about the crime rate, because he and
his team do not have the logistics, mobile or equipment to carry out their
operation, instead, they most often use maximum force with their bare hands to
fight or arrest the criminals.
According to him, most of the police officers do not even have uniform and the
entire police force is operating from the offices of the Bureau of Immigration,
since they are yet to have their own office.
The police commander among other things explained that there is no judiciary
system in all of the six districts in Lofa County and so, whenever a crime is
committed and the perpetrators arrested criminals, the police usually appeal to
the UNMIL police for vehicle to take the case to Gbarnga for investigation and
to go through the court procedure.
.He is therefore appealing to the NTGL to arrest the situation and provide the
necessary logistics for their operation.
For his part, the Development Superintendent of that county, Mr. William T.
Jallah disclosed that schools are not open yet because of the lack of the
required logistics including furniture. He praised some NGOs who have so far
rehabilitated at least five schools for the school year.
Mr. Jallah also explained that the major hospital in Voinjama is still closed
down and the county has no assigned doctor except some nurses and nurse's aids
who are working with NGO clinics.
He further explained that the cost of food in Lofa that once was the bread-
basket of this nation, is high. He said the citizens who are returning home do
not have farming implements to engage in farming.
The Development Superintendent, on behalf of the citizens, is therefore calling
on the NTGL and UNMIL to assist the citizens with building materials and
farming tools to enable them rehabilitate their broken homes and farms.

   

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