Sierra Leone has launched a collaborative training programme bringing together police, military, and other security agencies to boost inter-agency coordination and strengthen the country’s response to crime and security threats, officials said Monday.
The course, held at Hastings near Freetown, is facilitated by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra and includes about 60 senior and middle-level officers from the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the armed forces, the correctional service, the fire force, and immigration.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Sahr Yomba Senesi said capacity building was central to the police’s ongoing reform. “The transformative drive of the Sierra Leone Police requires personnel who can embrace strategic change, and this course is therefore timely,” he told participants. He added that collaboration among Sierra Leone’s security institutions had already shown positive results and the new training would further improve joint operations.
Victor N.A. Adamaa of the Ghanaian High Commission said the concept of collaborative policing was rooted in a 1999 Sahel security report that identified border security as key to stability. He said the programme was designed to prepare Sierra Leone’s officers for peace operations and to combat transnational crime.
The training will run for several days and will focus on enhancing technical expertise, operational effectiveness, and cooperation among Sierra Leone’s security agencies, according to organisers.
By Foday Kamara
