A cross-section of GIZ Technical Advisors on Thursday 22nd February 2024, paid a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu at Police Headquarters, in Freetown to discuss projects’ support to the Sierra Leone Police (SLP).
The team consists of Madam Subetta Chansa- GIZ Nigeria Technical Advisor and Mr. Pansawu Nyassie – Embedded Technical Advisor (ECOWAS) GIZ- Abuja.
According to Madam Ilemobola Adomoh- Adecelin the UNDP Gender and Inclusion Specialist, UNDP partners with GIZ to help the security sector based on its existing structure and felt needs, which she said necessitated their interaction with the SLP. Their interaction with the SLP, she noted, would allow them to identify areas they could help the organization, in line with its mandate.
IGP Sellu welcomed the team to his office and dilated on the existing structure of the SLP, adding that community engagement is one of the crime-fighting strategies applied in all the thirty-six (36) Local Police Commands and six (6) Police Regions.
As a means of building the trust and confidence of the people, the SLP has internal control mechanisms which he said, brought about the establishment of the Complaint Discipline and Internal Investigations Department (CDIID), tasked to checkmate the excesses of Police Officers, and make them accountable for their actions, the IGP said.
He alluded to other oversight bodies such as the Independent Police Complainant Board (IPCB), the Office of the Ombudsman, Human Rights Commission, among others.
Further engagements were slated for Wednesday 28th February, 2024, to discuss the needs assessment of the SLP.