By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura
As the June 24th, 2023 multitier elections is just around the corner and the country’s peace is relatively shaky as warring tensions continue to mount between supporters and members of the ruling SLPP party and members and supporters of the main opposition APC party.
In a bid to make sure that police personnel are deployed right across the four corners of Sierra Leone prior to polling day, the no nonsense Director of Operations of the Sierra Leone police, AIG Mohamed Braima Jah has said that they need well over 23,000 police officers needed to prevent violence and provide safety and security before, during and after the elections.
According to the crime buster, AIG Braima Jah said the SLP was in need of over 22,000 police personnel during the 2018 elections, but were able to provide 14,000 police personnel.
He disclosed that towards the election period, the SLP recruited additional 1,000 police personnel to provide watertight security ahead of polling day, adding that an additional 1,000 SLP personnel will again be recruited towards the June 24th elections, but lamented that the number is still not adequate.