By Kaddy Jawo
Thirty strategic-level officers drawn from The Gambia Police Force are being trained in the key areas of democratic control, human rights, rule of law, policing in peace times amongst others.
The five-day training is expected to build the required capacity of the strategic cadre of the police commanders of The Gambia Police Force (GPF) in democratic policing norms and principles.
The course will equip them with the relevant tools to enable the police operate as policy enforcers and drivers of the democratic norms, and to imbue them with global-best practice of police professionalism.
During an exclusive interview with The Gambia Times at the sideline of the training, Lamin Njie, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GPF, said there should be a cordial relationship between The Gambia Police Force and the public in understanding how the police operates.
He said the flow of information between the police and the public is very vital and that is the reason the police force is training its personnel to understand the crucial relations in consolidating democracy in the country
PRO Njie said what is unique about the five-day training is the fact that it is a strategic training that includes the senior commanders of the police who make decisions and give commands to subordinate police officers in responding to the needs and aspirations of the public.
The political bearing of The Gambia in relation to the respect for democratic tenets and norms as well as the respect for the rule of law and human rights under the former regime was unattractive. Of particular concern, are the citizens’ distrust and negative perceptions of The Gambia Police Force (GPF) and other security agencies. Public perception of the police force, either positive or negative, would invariably make or mar confidence in the support for the government since police operation is the basic level of government interactions with the common people.
Since ECOWAS intervened in The Gambia to restore democracy after the political logjam of December 2016, there has been significant progress in the maintenance of law and order as well as ensuring security of lives and property.
The training of top police commanders comes barely a week after the French National Police concludes a twelve-day training for forty PIU officers including Platoon and Section Commanders on crowd control.