The traffic policeman in any sound and solid police force is the mirror of the entire force.
He or she is the first and last to be seen by visitors and also attracts public attention at all given time.
The attitude of any traffic personnel towards the public is the yardstick used to measure the entire force; if the attitude is good, the entire force is glorified, but if not, it is the other way round.
It is therefore expected of the personnel of the Sierra Leone Police Traffic Division to be well dressed, well equipped and well trained.
Taking a closer look at any of our highways, streets manned by traffic officers, one would notice with dismay that, these officers are of low morals. Almost all of them have been reduced to beggars by the very society they claim to serve due to poor conditions of service, with no incentive scheme.
School crossing major junctions and other traffic-control points are all check-points giving cause mostly to undue traffic jams and by way of collecting money(s).
Fancy a trip from Calaba Town to P.Z, a cab driver for instance will be checked and cross-checked at almost 10 or more traffic police stops, all in the name of policing. What a waste of time! And besides, each check point mounted some time has four or more personnel, a waste of human resources.
Again we hold the society responsible as the very Police headquarters view the Traffic Division as money-making area.
Ask a police officer for divisional postings he/she would prefer to go to the traffic division, why? Police Headquarters will answer that question.
However, the head of traffic must try to restore some amount of sanity on the moral of the personnel by instituting some operational standing orders and the introduction of in-service training and examination for competence.
These efforts of the Traffic High Command deserve government’s support with better salaries and incentive as one cannot do much under the poverty line. On a more serious note, pay increase under a pre- financed economy like ours is a non-starter.
All it requires is some amount of sacrifice on the side of the Traffic High Command. Public information should be the working tool in these designated check-points to avoid embarrassment both to the travellers and the very police enforcing the law.
Again, the posting of street personnel should be realistic to avoid highway corruption.
We are not saying traffic officers are corrupt, but the system made them to be so.
From East end police to Calaba Town, you have almost 10 or more check points at the detriment of both passengers and drivers.