Promoting Human Rights Professionalism

in the Liberian Police Force

by Cecil Grif fit hs

edited by Liam M ah o ny

A Tactical No teb o ok p u blished by

the Ne w Tactics Project
o f the Center f or Victims o f Torture
Published by
The Center f or Victims o f Torture
Ne w Tactics in Human Rig h ts Project
717 East River Road
M inneapolis, M N 55455 USA
w w w.cvt.org, w w w.ne w tactics.org

Notebook Series Editor

Liam M ah o ny

Design and Copyediting

Susan Everson

Th e Le a d ership Aca d e my o f t h e D esm o n d Tu t u Pe ace Ce n tre, a n d Th e Ce n t er f or Victims o f Tort ure w ish

t o ack n o w le d g e t h e f ollo w in g instit u tio ns t h a t provid e d su p p ort f or t h e A frica n re gio n al w orksh o p o f t h e
N e w Tactics in H u m a n Rig h ts Project:
· Th e Rock e f eller Fo u n d a tio n
· Th e In t ern a tio n al Ce n t er o n N o nviole n t Co n flict,
· N or w e gia n Ch urch A id
· Th e Euro p e a n U nio n Co n f ere nce, W orksh o p a n d Cult ural Initia tives Fu n d in co nju nctio n w it h t h e
So u t h A frica n N a tio n al Trust
· Th e U nit e d St a t es D e p art m e n t o f St a t e,
· Th e U nit e d St a t es Instit u t e o f Pe ace,
· D o n ors w h o w ish t o re m ain a n o nym o us.
W e are also gre a tly in d e b t e d t o t h e w ork o f n u m ero us in t erns a n d volu n t e ers w h o h ave co n trib u t e d t h eir
tim e a n d exp ertise t o t h e a dva nce m e n t o f t h e project a n d o f h u m a n rig h ts.

Th e N e w Tactics project h as also b e n e fit e d fro m m ore t h a n 2000 h o urs o f w ork fro m in divid u al volu n t e ers
a n d in t erns as w ell as d o n a tio ns o f in-kin d su p p ort. So m e o f t h e instit u tio n al sp o nsors o f t his w ork inclu d e
M acalest er Colle g e, t h e M in n e a p olis Colle g e o f A rt & D esig n (M C A D), t h e U niversity o f M in n eso t a, t h e
Hig h er Ed uca tio n Co nsortiu m f or Urb a n A f f airs (HECU A), t h e M in n eso t a Justice Fo u n d a tio n a n d t h e p u blic
rela tio ns firm o f Pa dilla Sp e er Be ardsley.

Th e o pinio ns, fin din gs a n d co nclusio ns or reco m m e n d a tio ns expresse d o n t his sit e are t h ose o f t h e N e w
Tactics project a n d d o n o t n ecessarily re flect t h e vie ws o f o ur f u n d ers For a f ull list o f project sp o nsors se e
w w w.ne w tactics.org.

The vie ws expressed in this report do not necessarily re flect those o f the Ne w Tactics in Human Rights
Project. The project does not advocate specific tactics or policies.

© 2004 Center for Victims of Torture

This p u blicatio n may be freely repro d uced in prin t an d in electro nic f orm as lo n g
as t his co pyrig h t n o tice ap pears o n all co pies.
 4 A u t h or bio gra p hy

5 Letter from Ne w Tactics project manager

6 In tro d uctio n

6 The Liberian context & the birth o f LINLEA

9 A police association w orking f or human rights

11 Re pressio n a g ainst LINLEA

12 Causes o f police abuse

13 Necessary reso urces

13 The police & the military

14
Police & human rights organizations

14 Ho w police associations can promote human rights

16
Promoting human rights engagement in police associations

The Center f or Victims o f Torture

Ne w Tactics in Human Rig h ts Project
717 East River Road
M inneapolis, M N 55455 USA
w w w.cvt.org, w w w.ne w tactics.org

Acknowledgements
We at LINLEA are grateful to the Center for Victims of
Torture for the opportunity to participate in this project.
Our thanks go to Kate Kelsch, manager of the New Tac-
tics Project, and other staff for considering our tactics
significant enough to be shared with other human rights
activists in the world. Special thanks go to Nancy Pearson
for her input, encouragement, and suggestions in the de-
velopment of the New Tactics presentation which forms
the basis of this notebook, and to Liam Mahony, whose
writing and editing skills moved the final draft to comple-
tion.
The input of the other participants at the African Re-
gional Training workshop has also been valuable. Their
questions, comments, analysis, and feedback helped give
guidance and clarity to elements of the tactics which may
otherwise have been overlooked. Their interest and en-
thusiasm for our tactic has been a treasured source of
inspiration.
Finally, I want to thank the staff at LINLEA’s Secretariat
for their contributions towards the development of this
work, particularly Moses G. Sinneh, co-founder of
LINLEA, for his constructive comments; the secretarial
staff and other personnel, for their valued time and effort;
and members and executives of LINLEA, for their feed-
back during the trial presentation of the tactic.
Cecil Griffiths
Following his graduation from the police academy in 1980,
Cecil Griffiths served as patrol officer, traffic officer, and
detective in the Liberian police. Upon completion of a course
in statistics from the University of Liberia, Mr. Griffiths
convinced the Director of Police that the department needed
more reliable crime statistics, was appointed Chief Statisti-
cian of a new Central Statistics Unit, and was later pro-
moted to the rank of Captain. In 1986 he was transferred to
the police training academy, and later appointed Chief of
Research and Curriculum Development.
Though having criticized the unprofessional conduct of some
police administrators, in 1987 Griffiths was appointed Ad-
ministrative Assistant to the Director, a sign of the profes-
sional caliber of the Chief of Police, Wilfred E. Clark. As the
war intensified in 1989-90, Clark left the country, and the
subsequent Acting Director of Police and other senior staff
members were killed by soldiers loyal to Master Sergeant
Samuel K. Doe, head of the People's Redemption Council.
Griffiths attempted to flee the country, but was trapped for
six weeks in rebel-held areas before reaching Ghana, where
he remained for more than two years.
He returned to Liberia in August 1992, and was again ap-
pointed instructor at the Police Academy. In January 1993,
he was made Chief of Planning and Research, with the man-
date of developing a short-range plan to provide nationwide
police services and security coverage until inauguration day.
In creating this plan he discovered that the problems con-
fronting the department were primarily administrative in
cause, and that a competent core of administrators with the
professional will to take appropriate actions was needed to
commence police department reform.
Since 1995, Griffiths has been the President of the Liberian
National Law Enforcement Association, which he helped
create.
Contact Information
Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA)
Carey & Gurley Streets, Monrovia, Liberia
phone: 011 231 6 552280
e-mail: cbgriffiths@yahoo.com
September 2004

Dear Friend,

Welcome to the New Tactics in Human Rights Tactical Notebook Series! In each notebook a human
rights practitioner describes an innovative tactic used successfully in advancing human rights. The
authors are part of the broad and diverse human rights movement, including non-government and
government perspectives, educators, law enforcement personnel, truth and reconciliation processes,
and women’s rights and mental health advocates. They have both adapted and pioneered tactics that
have contributed to human rights in their home countries. In addition, they have utilized tactics
that, when adapted, can be applied in other countries and situations to address a variety of issues.

Each notebook contains detailed information on how the author and his or her organization achieved
what they did. We want to inspire other human rights practitioners to think tactically—and to
broaden the realm of tactics considered to effectively advance human rights.

In this notebook, we learn about the efforts, ability, and commitment of law enforcement
personnel—one of the most difficult groups to reach regarding human rights—to address and
confront human rights issues and violations from their own perspective and within their own ranks.
The Liberian National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) was established by law enforcement
personnel themselves to address issues of poor leadership, blind loyalty, and lack of professional
training, each of which have contributed to a poor quality of services and a high incidence of human
rights abuses. LINLEA has worked to promote professionalism as a way to enhance human rights
standards and reduce incidences of abuse. This tactics provides insights into how the law
enforcement profession itself can understand the connection between professionalism and human
rights—exposing abuses when they occur—to send signals to government and civil society that action
can and must be taken to address abuses.

The entire series of Tactical Notebooks is available online at www.newtactics.org. Additional

notebooks are already available and others will continue to be added over time. On our web site you
will also find other tools, including a searchable database of tactics, a discussion forum for human
rights practitioners, and information about our workshops and symposia. To subscribe to the New
Tactics newsletter, please send an e-mail to tcornell@cvt.org.

The New Tactics in Human Rights Project is an international initiative led by a diverse group of
organizations and practitioners from around the world. The project is coordinated by the Center for
Victims of Torture (CVT), and grew out of our experiences as a creator of new tactics and as a
treatment center that also advocates for the protection of human rights from a unique position—one
of healing and of reclaiming civic leadership.

We hope that you will find these notebooks informational and thought provoking.

Sincerely,

Kate Kelsch
New Tactics Project Manager
Introduction
As dictated by canons of police ethics, w hich instruct
o f ficers t o resp ect t h e co nstit u tio n al rig h ts o f all
peo ple t o liberty, eq uality, an d justice, la w en f orce-
ment officers are supposed to be the leading human
rights protectors and promoters everyw here in the
w orld. Unfortunately, due to lack of training and disci-
pline, poor leadership, and political manipulation, law
en f orcemen t perso n nel o f ten en gage in u n pro f es-
sional conduct that leads to abuses of human rights.
In 1993, a f ter the w ar in Liberia, w e evaluated the
situation within the police department. A n estimated
40 percen t o f la w en f orcemen t perso n nel had n o t
received basic training. Discipline levels w ere very lo w.
M ore recen tly, w e have seen h o w a regime can ap-
point la w enforcement officials w ho can be manipu-
lated to perpetuate, through oppression, suppression,
and intimidation, the regime’s tenure.
To address these issues of unprofessionalism and hu-
man rights abuses, w e decided to establish a profes-
sional association: The Liberian National La w Enforce-
ment Association, or LINLEA. LINLEA promotes train-
ing opportunities for la w enforcement officers; advo-
cates for a merit-based system of promotion, the ap-
p oin tmen t o f q ualified administrat ors, an d f air an d
impartial adjudication of complaints against officers;
and discourages partisanship and political manipula-
tion of la w enforcement agencies.
A t LINLEA w e use a variety o f means to achieve our
objectives. W e host professional training w orkshops
for la w enforcement officers, and organize public lec-
ture f orums an d radio programs to discuss issues re-
lated t o t he administratio n o f justice. W e p u blish a
journal to educate readers on the role of the criminal
justice system, its problems and challenges, and issues
of democracy and human rights. In addition, w e advo-
cate for reforms of la w enforcement and criminal jus-
tice instit u tio ns, co n d uct research o n t he causes o f
crime an d t he resp o nses o f t he criminal justice sys-
tem, and publish our findings and recommendations.
As our organization has gro w n in size and credibility,
w e have also been able t o call at ten tio n t o in ternal
problems and unprofessional behavior in the depart-
ment, and demand justice for victims—including un-
f airly accused p olice o f ficers. W e are begin nin g t o
monitor and catalogue police abuses.
LINLEA no w has over 500 members, including nearly
20 percent of the police force, as w ell as many mem-
bers of other la w enforcement institutions. Through
o ur Cen ter f or Criminal Justice Research an d Ed uca-
tio n, w e have been able t o provide leadership an d
human rights training for 223 senior la w enforcement
o f ficers. The Cen ter has also co n d ucted a trainin g
w orkshop for la w enforcement trainers and curricu-
6
lum specialists o f la w en f orcemen t agencies, an d a
workshop on Policy Formulation and Development for
la w enforcement planners and administrators.
W e believe that an association of this sort is the most
effective w ay to bring about change in police behav-
ior. Human rights organizations can raise a w areness
of the nature and incidents of human rights abuses in
society. But w hen a professional body related to la w
en f orcemen t becomes involved in hig hlig h tin g an d
exp osing these ab uses, it sen ds a dif f eren t signal to
the government and to the police department itself,
a signal they are more likely to heed.
In this notebook I describe the creation of our police
associatio n, an d t he develo pmen t o f o ur w ork su p-
porting within the police force a professional attitude
that is respectful of human rights. I then discuss some
o f t he q uestio ns relevan t t o t he use o f t his tactic in
other contexts. W hether you are a concerned la w en-
forcement professional or a human rights activist, it is
my hope that this analysis will help you consider ho w
steps can be taken t o pro f essio nalize t he p olice an d
improve its h uman rig h ts record in yo ur o w n sit ua-
tion.
The Liberian context
& the birth of LINLEA
LIBERIA & ITS POLICE: POLITICAL BACKGROUND
The oldest independent A frican country, Liberia w as
f o u n ded by freed A merican slaves, an d its g overn-
mental system w as modeled on that of the U.S. Prior
to 1980, Liberia w as o ne o f the most peace f ul an d
stable co u n tries in A frica. Its criminal justice system
w as functioning fairly w ell. The police and other la w
en f orcement agencies benefited from quality train-
in g. Stan dards in t hese agencies w ere hig h. Promo-
tions w ere competitive. Discipline w as solid. The coun-
try had a modern prison and w ell-functioning courts.
The population, ho w ever, w as divided bet w een indig-
e n o us Lib eria ns a n d t h ose d esce n d e d fro m free d
slaves, w ho had ruled since 1847. Discontent exploded
o n t o t he scene w it h a blo o dy military co u p in 1980,
w hich brought into po w er the People’s Redemption
Council (PRC), led by M aster Sergeant Samuel K. Doe.
The early years o f the coup era sa w a series o f sum-
mary executions, extrajudicial killings and disappear-
ances, and torture of political opponents. Law enforce-
ment agencies absorbed many unqualified personnel
selected on tribal and political grounds. Promotions
were politicized, rather than based on merit. The qual-
ity of services deteriorated significantly. La w enforce-
ment officers became corrupt, and the previous high
level o f discipline w as u n dermined by p o or su pervi-
sion and control.
In 1982, a f ter a scandalous corruption incident, Doe
bro u g h t in a p olice a d ministra t or t o re b uild t h e
department’s credibility. Chief Wilfred E. Clark created
a stro n g pro f essio nal sense o f directio n t hat helped
regain the confidence of the public.
Clark made significant progress in terms of manpo wer
an d organizatio nal develo pmen t d urin g his ten ure
(1982–1990). The first duty manual, for example, w as
developed and published in March 1984. O fficers were
enco uraged t o p ursue hig her ed ucatio n, an d t h ose
earning bachelor’s degrees w ere given pay raises and
promo tio ns. Three o f ficers bene fited from sch olar-
ships provided by the A tlanta University Criminal Jus-
tice Institute to pursue postgraduate studies in crimi-
nal justice.
Clark discouraged officers from joining political par-
ties. Executives and command personnel were allowed
input into the decision-making process, and could dis-
cuss issues o f serious concern at w eekly senior sta f f
meetin gs. Clark enco uraged discussio n o f any issue
t hat mig h t u n dermine t he pro f essio nal in tegrity o f
the department. A f ter an aborted coup attempt in
1985, President Doe had the military and other secu-
rity forces viciously tracking do w n his opponents, but
Clark w as able to control behavior within the depart-
men t, even exercizin g a mo deratin g in fluence over
relatives of the president w ho w ere under his leader-
ship. During the height o f the w ar in 1990, w hen his
o w n life w as at risk, he took steps to ensure that tribal
or p olitical divisio ns w o uld n o t take ro o t in t he de-
partment.
Thro u g h o u t t his perio d, violatio ns o f h uman rig h ts
w ere attributed mainly to the military and other se-
curity f orces, n o t t he p olice. Sadly, as t he w ar esca-
lated in 1989–1990, scores o f police o f ficers w ere
killed, including seven high-level police officials, and
Clark w as forced to flee the country. In combination
with corruption and bad governance, the serious hu-
man righ ts abuses committed by the military an d a
group of security officers helped lead to a seven-year
civil conflict (1990–1997), the collapse of the govern-
men t, an d t he deat hs o f h u n dreds o f t h o usan ds o f
Liberians—including many la w enforcement profes-
sionals.
The rebellion of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia
(NPFL) in December 1989 led to the intervention o f
t h e Eco n o mic Co m m u nity o f W est A frica n St a t es
(ECO W AS), and brought about the establishment of
an interim administration in 1991. The police and other
law enforcement agencies were reactivated, but many
of the problems experienced during the coups of the
1980s resurfaced—including the employment, promo-
tion, and assignment of personnel without reference
to departmental policy guidelines. Seeing these prob-
lems, some o f us w h o had served w it h Chie f Clark
began looking for a w ay to improve the situation.
Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 7
WHY FORM A POLICE ASSOCIATION?
Ironically, those w ho killed police officers during the
civil crisis w ere often absorbed into the police or other
security agencies. W hen t he p olice departmen t an d
other law enforcement units were reactivated in 1991,
co nsiderable damage had been d o ne t o b o t h t heir
infrastructure and manpo w er resources. M any offic-
ers had fled to o ther cou n tries; some w ere in rebel-
co n trolled territ ories, involved in la w en f orcemen t
d u ties or active combat w it h t he rebel f orce; o t hers
simply refused to report for duty.
To fill vacant positions the police administration be-
gan t o promo te an d assig n o f ficers in hap hazard or
politicized w ays. Fe w ne w employees met the educa-
tional standards prescribed by the department. Spe-
cialized tasks w ere given to people without the requi-
site pro fessional competence or experience. M orale
became lo w, and a lack o f discipline f ollo w ed. A sig-
nificant number of trained and experienced of ficers
w ere reluctant to render courtesy to superiors they
f elt lacked leadership ability, su pervisory skills, an d
technical kno w-ho w. It became more and more diffi-
cult to get the administration to apply sound mana-
gerial principles in managing the police department.
Pro f essio nalism deteriorated, an d w it h it, p u blic re-
spect and trust.
A fter frustrated attempts to promote internal reform
proposals, in my role as the chief of Planning and Re-
search I met with the Chief o f Personnel in late 1993
to discuss ho w to place pressure on police administra-
tors to adhere to the police handbook and administer
the f orce in a more pro f essio nal man ner. M o tivated
by t he impact o f t he In ternatio nal Associatio n o f
Chiefs of Police (IACP) in promoting professionalism,
w e decided to establish a professional association for
la w enforcement personnel and support staff. Since it
w as difficult to correct the ills of the department from
within, we felt that a professional body operating out-
side the scope of police administrators w ould be more
effective.
The La w Enforcement Association w as thus conceived
with the follo wing objectives:
• t o brin g t o get her all la w en f orcemen t agencies
and personnel to constitute a consolidated asso-
ciation or consortium;
• t o ensure t hat t he et hics an d can o ns o f t he la w
enforcement profession are strictly observed and
adhered to;
• t o liaise w it h ap pro priate g overnmen t au t h ori-
ties to ensure the passage of legislation that will
from time to time improve the practice o f la w
enforcement; improve the living standard of par-
ticipan ts o f t he pro f essio n; an d g uaran tee t he
safety and w ell-being of the men and w omen of
the profession;
• to ensure community participation and coopera-
tion in meeting the challenges of crime and disor-
der;
• t o seek, enco urage, an d promo te la w en f orce-
ment education and training opportunities and
programs for members of the profession;
• t o assist as a co nsortium in t he decisio n-makin g
process in public and private la w enforcement in-
stitutions; and
• to ensure that the rights o f la w-abiding citizens
and th ose accused o f crimes are pro tected at all
times;
• To establish ties and affiliations with national and
international la w enforcement and criminal jus-
tice institutions.
STEPS TO FORMATION
Initial invitation
The idea of this association w as w ell-received among
professionals in other la w enforcement agencies. W e
first communicated with the Acting Director of Police,
Ru d olf B. Flo w ers, an d members o f t he senior sta f f,
informing them of our intent. The Director had ben-
efited from professional w orkshops during Clark’s ad-
ministration, and w as a registered member o f the
IACP. Thus, although he may have felt some political
misgivin gs ab o u t o ur mo tives, he u n derst o o d t hat
from a professional perspective he could not oppose
the formation of the organization without damaging
his o w n credibility.
Since w e w ere still at w ar and our association w ould
have to deal with la w enforcement and security per-
so n nel, an d in order n o t t o be misrepresen ted, w e
wrote to the heads of major la w enforcement agen-
cies, in f ormin g t hem o f o ur in ten t t o establish t he
Association and requesting them to send t w o repre-
sentatives to form part of the organizing committee.
The f ollo wing institutions w ere contacted: National
Security Agency, Special Security Service, Monrovia City
Police, the Fire Service Bureau, the Bureau of Correc-
tions, and t w o major private security firms (Inter-Con
and REGSA); w e also contacted a la wyer and a former
police planning chief then attending the la w school.
W e felt it w as crucial to create this level of participa-
tio n at t he begin nin g o f t he process. This w as t o be
their organization, not something brought in by out-
siders. All of the agencies responded and nominated
t w o officers to be part of the organizing committee.
By December 29, 1993, the first meeting w as con-
vened at the M onrovia City Hall.
The initial meetings w ere professional forums to dis-
cuss w hat impact w e could make in addressing unpro-
fessional conduct. Although participants w ere nomi-
nated by their agencies, they w ere free to speak as
individuals; the agencies did not influence the delib-
eration processes. The constitution of Liberia provided
f or freedom o f associatio n, so there w ere n o legal
8
barriers, and w e moved quickly to solidify the formal
legal existence o f t he organizatio n. W e invited t he
Minister of Justice to publicly launch the organization
on M ay 14, 1994 at the M onrovia City Hall.
The f ormation o f the La w En f orcement Association
w as unique and very attractive to many of ficers. W e
stressed that other professionals had organized asso-
ciations (the Bar Associations, the M edical and Dental
Association, the Teachers Association). W hy shouldn’t
w e have o ur o w n? W e also emp hasized t he role o f
associations in serving as a strong voice in advocating
f or re f orms. Bet w een 1994 and 1996 w e continued
our campaign for members. The more members, the
louder our voice. W e hosted w orkshops, sports tour-
naments, beauty pageants, and other events to bring
la w en f orcemen t perso n nel t o get her. In 1996 w e
launched the first public lecture forum, in w hich mem-
bers of the la w enforcement community and the pub-
lic met to discuss the administration of justice in Liberia,
and w ays to create peace, reconciliation, and stability.
Several la w en f orcement o f ficials w ere invited to
present papers, including the Director of the National
Security A gency, t he senior Inspect or o f Police, an d
t he Legal A id O f ficer o f t he Justice an d Peace Com-
mission.
External support
To build professionalism, and to promote cross-train-
in g an d pro f essio nal ed ucatio n, Chie f Clark had en-
couraged interaction bet w een Liberian o f ficers and
those of other countries. He encouraged senior offic-
ers to join the IACP, and built a relationship with the
A tlanta University Criminal Justice Institute, resulting
in a jointly sponsored conference in 1988 that brought
many notable international professionals to Liberia.
His w ork laid the foundation for our o w n understand-
ing and promotion of professional ethics and conduct.
In 1996 w e received a small grant from the U.S. Em-
bassy to host a symposium on restructuring Liberian
security agencies. The w orkshop w as w ell attended,
with the Head of State, the US A mbassador, the Min-
ister of Justice, and heads of la w enforcement agen-
cies—with the exception of Police Director Joseph B.
Tate—coming to the opening program. Heads of la w
en f orcement agencies and other criminal justice ex-
perts spoke on the need to restructure various secu-
rity institutions in Liberia. Coincidentally, a team from
the U.S. State Department w as visiting Liberia at the
time, an d w as invited t o t he o penin g pro gram. The
team w as impressed that a gro u p o f o f ficers could
organize such a forum to discuss ho w to improve la w
enforcement services.
The symposium w as a major achievement for LINLEA,
and brought the Association and its activities into the
limelig h t. A t t he close o f t he o penin g pro gram t he
U.S. ambassador announced that the U.S government
had allocated about $1.9 million to assist the judiciary
and the police in the reform process as they prepared
for the follo wing year’s elections.
This support did have its costs. The money w as condi-
tio nal o n t he removal o f Chie f Tate. w h o had been
accused by the U.S. government of being involved in
atrocities during the w ar. Desperate to receive the
funds and to gain U.S. support, other members of the
Liberia National Transitional Government (LNTG) pres-
sured Charles Taylor, one of the faction heads, to have
his nominee replaced, w hich he did. Tate accused the
Association of masterminding his removal by organiz-
in g t he w orksh o p, an d w it hin a year he t o ok his re-
venge.
A police association
working for human rights
With a population of 2.7 million, Liberia has only 3,500–
4,000 police o f ficers, a very lo w per capita presence.
O f these, 500 belong to LINLEA. The organization has
a t w o-tiered membership structure: Regular members
must be trained police, w hile associate members may
join without training. W e believe that the organiza-
tio n sh o uld n o t by ru n be an o f ficer in t he depart-
ment; such officers are under the disciplinary control
of the Chief of Police, and thus inhibited in their reac-
tions to sensitive issues. LINLEA’s constitution also pro-
hibits o f ficers from bein g members o f p olitical par-
ties. M embers can vo te, b u t can n o t at ten d p olitical
meetin gs or be partisan. Party co n trol o f p olice de-
stroys independence and continuity.
Initially, LINLEA did n o t have a direct h uman rig h ts
advocacy focus. It w as implied that if law enforcement
o f ficers w ere pro f essional in the discharge o f their
duties, and good leadership kept in check those w ho
deviated from professional standards, human rights
violations w ould be at a minimum.
We did, h o w ever, co n d uct an analysis o f f act ors re-
sp o nsible f or t hese violatio ns. W e f o u n d t hat issues
co n trib u tin g t o h uman rig h ts ab uses by o f ficers in-
cluded lack of training and discipline, poor leadership,
an d deliberate manip ulatio n o f la w en f orcemen t
agencies by the regime in po w er, resulting in the sup-
pression of freedom and the intimidation of the popu-
lace. W e also concluded that the la ws establishing la w
en f orcemen t agencies, t he p olicies an d proced ural
mechanisms f or managing these agencies, the lead-
ership styles an d abilities o f execu tives, the o f ficers’
conduct and attitudes, and the citizens’ attitudes to-
w ard criminal justice instit u tio ns co n trib u ted t o t he
poor performance and poor human rights records of
the agencies. W e decided, therefore, to prioritize hu-
man rights as a core policy issue.
To do so, LINLEA carries out the follo wing activities:
• training of officers in human rights, ethics, lead-
ership, and basic police skills
Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 9
• research and publications
• public education
• advocacy regarding policies and legislation
• advocacy regarding the appointment of qualified
administrators.
• advocacy for adjudication of complaints (fair and
impartial) an d actio ns against o f ficers w h o vio-
late
W e have organized these into three major programs:
• La w Enforcement Training and Education
• Human Rights Promotion and A dvocacy
• W elfare and Labor Relations
GENERAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING:
IMPLICATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Although LINLEA addresses human rights as a delib-
erate part o f its mandate, this f alls within a broader
mission and program of promoting overall profession-
alism, w hich w e believe has many bene fits f or t he
police beyond its impact on human rights. W e believe
that improvements in human rights performance are
a lo gical co nseq uence o f improved pro f essio nalism,
and w e articulate this link in our trainings.
The association seeks to improve the leadership styles
o f administrators o f la w en f orcement agencies, en-
courage a participatory decision-making process, and
develop policies and procedural guidelines for man-
aging agency resources. W e also seek to improve the
attitude and conduct of individual officers, w hich re-
sults in improved services, a better image for the pro-
fession and its members, a reduction in human rights
abuses and other acts of unprofessionalism, and, as a
result, increased su p p ort an d co o peratio n from t he
public.
In LINLEA’s Human Rights and Leadership training, w e
cover the follo wing topics:
• principles of management and la w enforcement
administration
• constitutional provisions as they relate to the ad-
ministration of justice and the rule of la w
• human rights as it relates to la w enforcement
• leadership and supervision
• human relations
O ur training and outreach also has a multiplier effect.
Follo w in g t he p u blicatio n o f o ur research rep ort o n
the Liberian criminal justice system, some agencies
began t heir o w n trainin g an d set u p commit tees t o
develop policy manuals to guide their organizations.
W e are no w conducting a training of trainers: a one-
week training for curriculum development to promote
pro f essionalism. The participan ts w ill research the
trainin g needs o f t heir o w n instit u tio ns, an d w e are
w orkin g w it h a teacher’s college t o provide instruc-
tion on basic techniques of curriculum development
and evaluation. W e will also conduct a training on ba-
sic policy development and procedural manuals.
RESEARCH ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
In M arch 2002 w e established the Center for Criminal
Justice Research an d Ed ucatio n t o co n d uct research
on problems of criminal justice. Through this center,
w e have carried ou t research o n the structure, f u nc-
tions, and problems of the criminal justice system and
a survey o f p u blic percep tio n o f t he o peratio ns an d
effectiveness of criminal justice institutions in Liberia.
A report on these studies w as published in December
2002 , an d circulated to heads o f la w en f orcemen t
and criminal justice institutions. The M inister o f Jus-
tice mandated a deputy to revie w the report and ad-
vise him on possible actions; a meeting bet w een the
Justice Minister and LINLEA is pending. A fter publica-
tio n o f t he rep ort some agencies recommen ded in-
service training for their personnel, and one created a
ne w committee to develop policy guidelines f or the
department.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
Since t he at tainmen t o f o ur g oals is in tricately co n-
nected to the relationship bet w een the police and the
public, w e also have formed programs to educate citi-
zens, t hro u g h w orksh o ps, literat ure, an d lect ures,
abou t their rig h ts an d respo nsibilities as related to
the la w, about the role of criminal justice institutions
in society, and about actions that can bring pressure
on the governmen t to initiate re f orms and improve
human rights records. W e are also w orking with hu-
man rig h ts gro u ps an d o t her civil society organiza-
tio ns t o ad dress h uman rig h ts issues an d t he cult ure
of impunity. We host a monthly radio program called
the Criminal Justice Forum, organize a quarterly pub-
lic lecture forum (the Wilfred E. Clark Lecture Forum
on Social Justice and the Rule of La w), and publish the
quarterly Criminal Justice Revie w Journal .
ADVOCATING POLICIES AND LEGISLATION
W e have assisted several la w en f orcement agencies
in t he creatio n o f co heren t in ternal proced ures an d
standards. Having noticed that the la ws establishing
these agencies did not specify qualifications or crite-
ria f or t he ap p oin tmen t o f agency heads, allo w in g
arbitrary ch oices by the presiden t, w e have also re-
vie w ed t he la ws an d pro p osed amen dmen ts t o im-
prove t he selectio n process, advance t he practice o f
la w en f orcemen t, an d en hance t he livin g stan dards
an d g uaran tee t he rig h ts, sa f ety, an d w ell-bein g o f
members of the profession. In addition, observing that
some agencies had d u plicate f u nctio ns, w e recom-
mended that the National Legislature revie w the acts
creatin g la w en f orcemen t agencies and rectify any
discrepancies.
10
INFLUENCING LEADERSHIP SELECTION
O ur hope is that our organization will become strong
enough to influence the selection and appointment
o f la w en f orcemen t execu tives, eit her t hro u g h co n-
sulting with the President, w orking with the legisla-
ture during confirmation hearings of those nominated
by the President, or lobbying legislators to pass a bill
requiring the President to nominate competent and
q ualified administrat ors t o key p ositio ns in la w en-
forcement institutions. O nce sound administrators are
appointed, LINLEA can then w ork with them to pro-
vide technical assistance for their respective agencies.
In a la w enforcement agency, a good administrator is
one w ho administers the a f f airs o f the department
through written policy and procedural guidelines, who
enco urages su g gestio ns an d ideas from men an d
w omen of the department, w ho consults with other
executives on key issues before making decisions, w ho
allo ws d ue process t o prevail in t he adju dicatio n o f
complaints against officers, and who understands that
the primary objective of the la w enforcement profes-
sion is the upholding of the rule of la w and respect for
t he Co nstit u tio n. W e believe t hat if w e can achieve
our goal of having such administrators appointed to
the agencies, w e will have gone a long w ay to w ards
ad dressin g t he pro blem o f h uman rig h ts ab uses by
police. Unfortunately, President Taylor’s practice of ap-
pointing persons loyal to him regardless of their quali-
ficatio ns, an d his re f usal t o en tertain discussio ns re-
garding the replacement of unqualified administra-
tors, will delay the achievement of some of these ob-
jectives.
DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AGAINST SECU-
RITY FORCES OR INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS
As a professional association of la w enforcement per-
sonnel w e have a dual role in dealing with complaints
against these personnel: on the one hand, w e have an
o bligatio n t o de f en d t he rig h ts o f o ur pro f essio n’s
members, w ho may be unfairly accused of misbehav-
ior and w ho, even in the event of misbehavior, have a
right to due process. A t the same time, w e must main-
tain the highest possible ethical standards within the
pro f essio n, an d w e can n o t allo w la w en f orcemen t
practitioners to commit crimes with impunity.
In Liberia, ho w ever, there are presently no official dis-
ciplinary or investigative proced ures in place f or o f-
ficer violatio ns. Peo ple are a fraid even t o file com-
plain ts, an d complain ts are n o t han dled pro f essio n-
ally. We are trying to persuade the Ministry of Justice
to issue a standard of conduct, and will then challenge
them to investigate charges against of ficers. As part
of this process, LINLEA has a line-up of ten programs,
including one on internal discipline w hich addresses
the process for receiving complaints from the public,
investigatin g an d processin g t hem, an d mo nit orin g
their outcomes and resolutions.
Due to lack of funding, w e have not yet been able to ken bet w een the p olice
effectively and thoroughly monitor and catalogue po- and LINLEA. W e chose to
lice ab uses. We are, h o w ever, develo pin g a La w En- ignore him, avoid officially
forcement Professional Standards and Human Rights inviting the police depart-
O f fice, t o be f ully resp o nsible f or mo nit orin g com- m e n t t o o ur f u nctio ns,
plaints of abuses and overseeing the handling of these an d deal o nly w it h o ur
complaints. W e do have an ethics committee that in- m e m b ers w h o w ere in
vestigates complaints against our o w n members, w ho the service. Since other in-
accept the possibility of investigation w hen they join stitutions were attending Participants at a policy formation and develop-
LINLEA. and benefiting from our ment workshop held at CCJRE, April 9–12,
2003.
trainin g pro gra ms, t h e
Despite the lack of effective official mechanisms, w e p olice began t o f eel iso-
have been able to use our influence and activities to lated. Eventually M ulbah
in tervene an d st o p ab uses. Human rig h ts organiza- allo w ed eight of ficers to
tions had long found it difficult, for example, to per- participate in a trainin g
suade the courts to compel la w en f orcement execu- w o r ksh o p h e l d a t o u r
tives to honor the writ of habeas corpus. Several per- ce n t e r, a n d p e r m i t t e d
sons arrested by la w enforcement agencies, particu- training officers from the
larly for alleged offenses committed against the state, Police Academy to partici-
w ere held w it h o u t bein g taken t o t he co urt w it hin pate in a training of train-
the 48 hours prescribed by the Constitution. Concerned ers w orksh o p. W e h ope
about this flagrant violation, LINLEA hosted a forum to take advantage of this Panelists at the Wilfred E. Clark lecture forum,
discussing the role of the law enforcement
to discuss the significance of the writ of habeas corpus chan ge o f heart an d in-
community in promoting peace, reconciliation,
in upholding the rule of la w and protecting the rights tensify our training work- and security for all; August 15, 2002.
of accused persons. W e invited representatives of the shops for police officers.
Bar Association, the Justice Ministry, and the Catholic
Church Justice and Peace Commission to serve as pan- This aspect o f our w ork
elists. Since the forum, law enforcement agencies have cle arly carries in h ere n t
begun adhering to the constitutional provision regard- risks. Pu blic co n demna-
ing the writ and are now complying with related court tio n o f h u m a n rig h ts
orders. A f e w days a f ter the f orum, in f act, a human a b uses by la w e n f orce-
rights la wyer w as arrested and surprisingly, within the ment executives may trig-
48-hour period, w as charged and brought to court. ger a backlash, creating
sit uatio ns in w hich su p-
In 2000, a member o f our Association w as arrested port f or our programs is LINLEA President Cecil B. Griffiths in office.
and detained for 100 days for allegedly communicat- w it h held an d execu tives
ing with a military official in neighboring Guinea. W e prohibit officers from officially participating in the ac-
felt that if the officer w as indeed involved, he should tivities and programs of LINLEA.
be f orw arded t o co urt rat her t han in de finitely de-
tained without trial. A fter w e wrote a letter inquiring STANDING UP FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS
into his case, he w as accused of espionage. W e w ent OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKERS
to the judge to ask that the man be charged and tried, As just described, police officers themselves are some-
but the police still refused to charge him. W e returned times victims o f ab use by o f ficials. In these cases w e
to the judge, and finally threatened to go to the Su- assist in grievance procedures. If officers are detained
preme Court. The f ollo w in g Saturday, the man w as or wrongfully charged, w e advocate for their release
released. W e w anted to further protest this mistreat- or f or justice. LINLEA is tryin g t o develo p a la w en-
men t, b u t t he man co ncerned f elt it w o uld be t o o forcement officer’s Bill of Rights for Liberian O fficers
risky for him, and he ultimately fled the country. to be enacted into la w. W ith the passage o f this bill,
and our inclusion of this topic as part of our training,
In 2002, Director of Police Paul E. M ulbah personally officers will be a w are of their rights and able to claim
arrested the head o f the Catholic Justice and Peace them.
Commission. He also had t w o officers publicly flogged
without due cause, as vengeance for their having ques- Repression against LINLEA
tioned his decisions in a meeting, and w as responsible LINLEA had a particularly difficult time after the 1997
f or t he flo g gin g an d t ort ure o f h uman rig h ts advo- elections, due to our outspoken stance in support of
cate Tia w o n Go n gloe w hile in p olice cust o dy. These the restructuring of the security forces, and our criti-
actions prompted us to criticize him during a live radio cisms of Chief Tate. As described earlier, Tate w as ac-
talk sho w. The chief did not take w ell to this criticism, cused o f w ar crimes by t he U.S., an d removed from
and vowed to discontinue his support for our programs o f fice as a co n ditio n o f U.S. security assistance. Be-
an d activities. For several mo n t hs, co n tact w as bro- cause of the timing of a LINLEA conference on police

Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 11

professionalism, and the enthusiastic U.S. support for
LINLEA, Tate blamed us for the loss of his position.
With the 1997 election of Charles Taylor and the NPP,
Tate w as again named Chief of Police. In addition to
harboring historic resentment for LINLEA, the NPP was
also concerned about our support for implementing
the restructuring called for in the A buja accord. Tate,
considered the second most po w erful man in Liberia,
launched an aggressive campaign o f intimidation
against LINLEA.
His first step w as to fire me from my position as Chief
o f Planning and Research, just as w e w ere holding a
national workshop on restructuring the security forces.
The w orkshop, ho w ever, w ent ahead as planned, and
participants overw helmingly called f or la w en f orce-
ment agencies to be restructured in keeping with the
Abuja accords. LINLEA protested my dismissal and held
press conferences exposing the unprofessional man-
ner in w hich t he p olice departmen t w as bein g ru n.
This prompted Tate to order my arrest and detention.
I w as arrested in December 1997, but managed to
escape. Tate also had o ur meetin gs mo nitored, an d
our members w atched, threatened, and arrested. He
spread propaganda questioning our association’s mo-
tives and creating the impression that w e w ere agents
o f t he U.S. g overnmen t, since t he U.S. an d Liberian
governments w ere at loggerheads. LINLEA declared
a state of siege, and advised members w ho felt threat-
ened to keep a w ay until conditions improved. A fe w
o f ficers did brave the storm and continued to be ac-
tive.
In 1999 Director Tate w as killed in a crash, after w hich
many police o f ficers reactivated their membership,
an d o ur relatio nship w it h t he departmen t began t o
improve. Nevertheless, the department still su f fers
greatly from the transition. Because of the prevailing
situation in the country, particularly the issue of impu-
nity, many LINLEA members are not willing to file com-
plaints against their bosses for fear of reprisal.
Tate’s replacement as chief of police, Paul E. M ulbah,
did not warm to us quickly. W hen we publicly criticized
the arrest an d deten tio n o f a h uman righ ts activist
an d t he flo g gin g o f t w o p olice o f ficers u p o n his or-
ders, he vo w ed not to cooperate with us, and notified
heads of other la w enforcement agencies of his deci-
sion. This relationship has since improved some w hat,
in part d ue t o t he serio usness an d credibility o f o ur
w ork and publications.
Although opposition to LINLEA still exists, it is limited
to executives with very close connections to the presi-
den t. O ne agency head co n tin ues t o in timidate an d
threaten members with dismissal for associating with
LINLEA. Q uite recently, three of our members resigned
from this agency to w ork full time with us; the agency
head is no w refusing to cooperate with LINLEA.
12
Discussion I: Causes of police abuse
Consider the majority of violations of civil and political
rights: extrajudicial killings, summary executions, dis-
appearances, torture, impunity, unla w ful detention,
violatio n o f t he rig h t t o pro test or express o neself,
discrimination against minorities, police brutality, traf-
ficking in human beings. The list goes on, but clearly
most o f these abuses are directly related to la w en-
f orcement—either to abuses by security o f ficials, or
to the lack of protection and enforcement of the la w.
Law enforcement is crucially linked to democracy, good
governance, and the rule of la w. I believe that most of
the w ars in A frica are related to the lack of the rule of
la w, and to a lack of justice. People have no w here to
seek redress. If human rights abuses and omissions by
la w enforcement and the criminal justice system w ere
addressed, and the system w orked, most abuses and
violent conflicts w ould be reduced or minimized.
W hy d o la w en f orcemen t o f ficers violate t he la w or
commit abuses? W e believe three factors are respon-
sible:
First, a lack of training or inadequate training. O ffic-
ers do not kno w w hat to do in certain instances, and
are often ignorant of the la w. In Liberia, more than 60
percent of current officers are completely untrained.
A seco n d key cause is t he lack o f discipline. La w en-
forcement officers must be guided in their actions by
principles and standards of conduct. Professional or-
ganizations such as LINLEA endeavor to remind offic-
ers of their responsibility to adhere to these standards,
an d o f t he e f f ects o f u n pro f essio nal co n d uct o n t he
image of la w enforcement agencies. O fficers w ho dis-
regard rules o f conduct must be sanctioned in order
to deter others. Violations that are internally moti-
vated (such as lack o f trainin g, lack o f discipline, or
poor leadership) can be handled by convincing politi-
cal leaders that the problems of the police are under-
minin g t he image o f t he co u n try an d hence req uire
corrective measures.
The t hird f act or is t he p olitical manip ulatio n o f la w
en f orcemen t instit u tio ns f or p olitical gain. Political
leaders ap p oin t t h ose loyal t o t hem, t h ose t hey can
trust to do their bidding. This leads to violations that
are externally motivated. To address this w e must
persuade the la w enforcement community to reflect
on its role in society through interaction with la w en-
forcement professionals from other countries. Police
need to be encouraged to see their role as serving the
citizenry, not the regime in po w er. By building a sense
o f pride in t he pro f essio n, agencies can b uild u p
greater in ternal resistance to the kin d o f p olitical
manipulation that can turn a good police force into a
tool for repression.
W e believe that most human rights violations by po-
lice in Liberia, especially those occurring between 1991
an d 1997, co uld be at trib u ted t o u n pro f essio nal er- b uild an e f f ective an d le-
rors caused by a lack of training and discipline. A fter gitimate association. The
the 1997 elections brought the NPP into po w er, ho w- founders of our association
ever, many rebel commanders and fighters w ere ab- w e r e l a w e n f o rce m e n t
sorbed into law enforcement agencies, and command- perso n nel w h o had seen,
ers w ere app oin ted heads o f security u nits at vital u n der Chie f Clark, h o w a
public installations and facilities, such as the Freeport pro f essio nal departmen t
of Monrovia, the Telecommunications Corporation, the should be run. We had con- Female chapter of LINLEA celebrating first
Electricity Corporation, the International Airport, and tacts within public and pri- anniversary, December 12, 2001.
the la w enforcement agencies. A t this point, the level v a t e l a w e n f o rce m e n t
of human rights violations began to take on ne w di- agencies, and w e had the
mensions. su p p ort o f a la w yer as
w ell, w h o w as invited t o
In 1997, f or instance, a f e w months a f ter the ne w join the organizing com-
g overnmen t t o ok o f fice, prominen t p olitician Sam m i t t e e t o o b t a i n f irst-
Dokie, his wife, and a close relative w ere killed, alleg- han d kn o w led ge o f o ur
edly by members o f t he Special Security Service, t he aims and objectives. W e
agency responsible for protecting the President and w ere also a ble t o g ain
other VIPs. To date, those accused are yet to face jus- su p p ort from t he M inis-
tice. The con duct o f the A n ti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), a ter o f Justice and other
military f orce created by the presiden t, has also in- hig h-level la w e n f orce- Professor Anthony D. Kromah, Associate
creased the level of human rights violations. This unit men t o f ficials. This su p- Director of CCJRE, lecturing on the
has been accused of torture, and of inhumane treat- port has not alw ays been significance of training during the training of
trainers workshop.
ment of civilians detained at their bases. co nsist e n t, f or p olitical
reasons, and at times w e
O ne o f the greatest co ncerns o f LINLEA an d o f the exp erie nce d h arassm e n t
h uman rig h ts organizatio ns in Liberia is t he issue o f from officials, but currently
impunity. Many acts of lawlessness, unprofessionalism, some of that initial level of
and human rights violations go unpunished, and the support is being restored.
actio ns o f t he ATU an d Special O peratio n Divisio n
(SO D), the para-military wing of the police, continue FINANCIAL RESOURCES
to go unchecked. W e re q u est e d fro m o ur
members annual dues o f
The SO D, w hich should be analagous to the " SW AT " one hundred Liberian dol-
(Special Weapons A nd Tactics) teams of U..S police de- lars. Because o f the eco-
partments, w as reorganized and staffed with ex-com- n omic co nstrain ts f acin g Participants at leadership and human rights
workshop, December 12, 2002, Monrovia City
batants. A para-military Border Patrol Unit w as also w orkers, w e also h osted Hall.
established w it hin t he Bureau o f Immigratio n an d f u n draisers t o a u g m e n t
Naturalization and staffed with ex-fighters. Because these dues. W e received some funding from the U.S.
o f the loyalty o f the men an d comman ders o f these government (support f or the la w en f orcement re-
units, they are fully involved in the w ar. Acts of unpro- structuring w orkshops in 1996 and 1997, and support
f essio nal co n d uct or repressive behavior are n o t ad- for the publication of the criminal justice revie w jour-
equately addressed by heads of agencies because of nal), an d d urin g t he perio d o f in tense in timidatio n,
their relationship with the president. o f fice space and financial support w ere provided by
the Association of Liberian Professional Organizations
This not an easy situation to tackle. In our radio pro- (ALPO), a civil society organization. W e no w receive
grams, public lecture forums, and literature, w e con- f u n din g from t he Natio nal En d o w men t f or Democ-
tin ue t o discuss t he need t o improve en f orcemen t racy (NED), based in W ashington, D.C., for our Center
agencies through training and education, and to en- for Criminal Justice Research and Education program,
co urage civil society t o pressure t he g overnmen t t o and the Norwegian Human Rights Funds provide fund-
reform. ing for our Professional Standards and Human Rights
O ffice.
Discussion II: Necessary
resources Discussion III: The police & the mili-
HUMAN RESOURCES tary
O ur most critical reso urce is p olice o f ficers w h o be- The Liberian police and military had historically re-
lieve in professionalism. Every police department has mained separate, but after the 1980 coup and the
them, but they are not alw ays visible w hen a depart- ongoing conflict they begun to overlap in their “secu-
men t is a f f ected by p olitical or armed co n flict, or by rity” functions, and to carry out some joint operations.
corruption.They are, ho w ever, the people needed to M ost devastatingly, since 1997 the police have had to

Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 13

absorb a large number of untrained former combat-
ants. Former rebel soldiers w ere absorbed into all se-
curity forces, including the police and the armed forces.
But the existing army w as comprised of soldiers w ho
had fought against the rebels. In the transition very
fe w rebel commanders obtained command positions
in the army. Instead, Taylor created a ne w military
force, the A nti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), comprised prima-
rily of former rebels. Taylor has favored the ATU—his
personal army—with resources, weapons, and respon-
sibility for controlling dissidents. Meanwhile, the police
department absorbed 400—500 former rebel combat-
ants, with the SO D taking on an increasingly repres-
sive role. These ex-combatants are still w ar-trauma-
tized, and received no professional training.
The fact that the military’s and former rebels’ abuses
have benefited from impunity clearly does not create
a p ublic sense o f respect or f aith in the state’s com-
mitment to the rule of la w. With the existing ambigu-
ity o f f ormal “separation ” yet practical “ mixing ” o f
military an d civilian security f orces, it is dif ficult f or
military o f ficers t o be investigated or held acco u n t-
able for their actions. Policies regarding the investiga-
tion of military personnel for unla w ful actions are not
co nsisten t. A lt h o u g h most o f f enses commit ted by
military officers are handled by the military police and
sometimes re f erred to a tribunal, there are f e w in-
stances in which military officers have been prosecuted
in civilian courts.
Through our radio programs and publications, LINLEA
has been vocal against acts o f la wlessness by mem-
bers of the ATU and other security forces. In 2001, for
example, an o f ficer o f the De f ense Intelligence Ser-
vice w as detained more t han eig h teen mo n t hs by
Defense M inistry authorities for unsubstantiated al-
legations. LINLEA sought clarification from Defense
Ministry officials and, w hen no response w as received,
collaborated with the Justice and Peace Commission
to have the o f ficer released. A case involving a com-
m a n din g o f ficer o f t h e A FL, a f orm er NPFL co m-
man der alleged t o have stab bed an d killed an o t her
military o fficer, is curren tly bein g investigated by
LINLEA upon request from victim’s relative. The JPC
has also highlighted the case.
LINLEA’s has hopes to advocate f or the creation o f a
Truth and Reconciliation Commission to review all such
cases that are not addressed by the government, and
has submitted funding proposals to support prepara-
t ory w ork in t hat directio n. Un f ort u nately, t he cur-
rent fighting in Liberia at the time of this writing has
made it impossible to pursue this objective.
Discussion IV: Police &
human rights organizations
In the beginning, perhaps not surprisingly, LINLEA did
not have a close relationship with civil society human
rights groups. Since the idea of la w enforcement of-
14
ficers organizing to promote professionalism among
themselves w as strange, some groups w ere simply
skeptical about our intent. Some felt that our inten-
tion in joining the consortium of human rights organi-
zations was to infiltrate and expose decisions and plans
to the g overnmen t. It w as thus dif ficult at first f or
LINLEA to secure international support or funding for
our programs.
Ho w ever, there has been a remarkable improvement
in the relationships over time, especially after LINLEA
itself suffered police repression. W e no w collaborate
with the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and
others w ho invite us to lecture on criminal justice, pris-
oners’ rights, the correctional system, police commu-
nity relations,and other topics. International funders,
such as the National Endo w ment for Democracy, have
helped us b uild links w it h o t her gro u ps. A n d o ur
mo n t hly radio pro gram o n h uman rig h ts issues has
also strengthened our credibility.
It is natural that some distance exist bet w een the NG O
human rights movement and a police association, even
one with a human rights agenda. This distance might
even have positive consequences: our primary target
constituency and audience are police themselves, and
the institutional hierarchy. Given the historic distrust
an d o f ten adversarial relatio nship bet w een human
rights groups and security forces, a police association
mig h t have dif ficulty main tainin g its credibility an d
access inside the la w enforcement universe if it is per-
ceived to be too closely linked to human rights groups.
Transferability I: How police associa-
tions can promote human rights
STARTING A POLICE ASSOCIATION
O ur tactic can be successf ully implemen ted o nly by
pro f essional la w en f orcement o f ficers (w hether in
active service or not). These officers kno w the culture
of their agencies and can make a tremendous impact
if they initiate e f f orts to improve the quality o f ser-
vice. To encourage fello w officers to see the value in
such an association, the follo wing motivations should
be encouraged:
• M ost peo ple have a lo n gin g t o be a part o f an
organization or fraternity. O ther professions have
such associations, so w hy not ours? Police in other
countries have such associations, so w hy not us?
• M ost la w enforcement practitioners w ant to feel
pride in their w ork. They w ant to be regarded as
professionals. They are not proud of abuses com-
mitted by their institution or individuals within it,
and they w ant the respect of the public.
• La w enforcement practitioners can benefit from
the training and education that an association can
offer. Training opportunities can also mean pro-
motion opportunities.
• La w enforcement officials are mostly normal citi-
zens with the same desire for peace, stability, and
respect for human rights as others in society.
• In a situation w here some security forces or indi-
viduals are engaged in unpro fessional behavior
or politically motivated human rights abuses, the
reputation of all practitioners is damaged. They
need an association to assert their commitment
to professionalism and separate themselves from
the crimes committed by others.
• La w enforcement practitioners w ork under a hi-
erarchy of obedience to discipline, but they also
have a right to benefit from an independent space
t o discuss issues an d voice co ncerns amo n g col-
leagues.
• La w en f orcemen t o f ficers can be victimized by
t heir instit u tio ns—u n f airly accused, detained,
punished, denied promotions, and discriminated
against. They need an independent body that will
stand up and advocate for their needs.
• If a la w en f orcemen t agency is g oin g t hro u g h a
difficult time, in w hich discipline and profession-
alism have broken down or political manipulation
is in tense, callin g at ten tio n t o role mo dels an d
time periods in w hich a higher level of profession-
alism w as achieved can encourage colleagues to
maintain hope that the situation can be improved.
If you have a group o f o f ficers interested in f orming
such an organization, consider the following questions:
• Do other professional organizations, such as the
Bar Associatio n or Teachers Associatio n, exist in
yo ur co u n try? W hat can yo u learn from t hem
about the process of establishing such an organi-
zation?
• Are there any la ws prohibiting la w enforcement
officers from becoming members of professional
organizatio ns? If so, yo u may first need t o cam-
paign to change such la ws. You may be aided by
in ternatio nal su p p ort, given t hat in depen den t
police associations are common in many countries,
an d can play a very p ositive role in assistin g la w
enforcement.
• W hat is the government’s attitude to w ards hu-
man rights activism and independent civil society?
Has t he g overnmen t sh o w n w illin g ness t o im-
prove t he h uman rig h ts sit uatio n or is it h ostile
to w ards human rights advocates?
• W hat is the nature of human rights violations in
your country? W hat has been the involvement of
your la w enforcement institution in these viola-
tio ns? Has t his involvemen t, or lack o f it, been
internally or externally motivated?
• Depending on the political situation, w here can
yo u fin d allies? If, f or instance, a breakd o w n in
discipline or professionalism has caused scandals
or sit uatio ns w hich create a bad image f or t he
country, you may find that high government offi-
cials, parliament members, and others are very
supportive of any campaign to address the prob-
lem. O n the other hand, if the police department
is su f f erin g from excessive p olitical co n trol by a
repressive regime, you may need to cho ose a
Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 15
lo w er profile, looking for allies among your col-
leag ues, w it hin civil society, an d in t he in terna-
tional community.
There are a number o f steps that can be initiated to
prepare la w enforcement of ficers to establish a net-
w ork to promote human rights among themselves:
• Co n tact in ternatio nal organizatio ns o f la w en-
f orcement pro fessionals. The IACP, f or instance,
tackles unprofessionalism by developing training
programs in collaboration with la w enforcement
trainin g instit u tio ns an d u niversities. It also ad-
dresses t he issue o f leadership t hro u g h an n ual
international and regional conferences. The IACP
has been successful in its programs because it has
su f ficien t f u n din g, an d because t he caliber an d
status of members give the organization promi-
nence.
• Host regio nal co n f erences f or heads o f la w en-
forcement agencies to discuss administrative and
human rights issues. During such conferences, the
role o f unions and pro fessional associations can
be discussed. Delegates can be enco uraged t o
become members o f the IACP or other interna-
tional la w enforcement association. Such a w are-
ness will be necessary to generate support w hen-
ever a local la w enforcement association is to be
established.
• Set up regional professional la w enforcement as-
sociations such as the “ W est A frican Association
of Chiefs of Police ” or the “ W est A frican Union of
Law Enforcement Associations.” With the support
of the IACP and international human rights orga-
nizatio ns, t hese regio nal b o des may be able t o
develop a w areness of the professional role of the
p olice an d o ther la w en f orcemen t agencies in a
democracy.
• Establish criminal justice research centers to con-
d uct st u dies o n t he causes o f crime an d o n t he
criminal justice system, opinion surveys on public
perceptions of the police system, and other stud-
ies t o provide data t hat co uld help la w en f orce-
ment agencies reflect on their performances, while
recommen din g actio ns t o t o ad dress t he sit ua-
tion. Such research helps demonstrate the impor-
tan t role t hat an associatio n may play. The cen-
ters could conduct workshops for law enforcement
officers on human rights, ethics, democracy, and
o t her t o pics. These initiatives sh o uld n o t be an-
tagonistic in nature, and criticisms should be con-
structive and limited.
ENSURING A HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA
O nce yo u have established an associatio n, or if yo u
already have one, ho w can you ensure that it carries
out a strong agenda in support of human rights?
Despite the frequent use of police for repression, and
the adversarial relationship that often exists bet w een
la w enforcement and human rights groups, it is fun-
damental to recognize that the essential mandate of
all policing is to protect citizens and their rights. A ny
program pursuing professional integrity without pro-
moting human rights is internally inconsistent. Human
rights education is therefore essential for law enforce-
men t practitio ners, an d an associatio n can play an
important role in offering such education, and advo-
cating to ensure that human rights education becomes
part of official police training and education.
If f ello w o f ficers are committing abuses, there may
be a hesitance t o criticize “ o ne o f o ur o w n. ” In t his
case, an association needs to be encouraged to recog-
nize the cost to the reputation and public image of all
police if offenders are allo w ed to commit abuses with
imp u nity. A n associatio n can advocate f or e ff ective
investigative an d disciplinary proced ures inside t he
department, w hile also maintaining the role of exter-
nal w atchdog. It is also essential that the organization
has its o w n mechanisms f or investigatin g in frin ge-
ments of professional ethics by its members. Without
this, the professional reputation of the organization
itself will be questioned.
In sit uatio ns w here p olice are su bjected t o p olitical
manipulation, the police association itself may be vul-
nerable to intimidation, infiltration, or cooptation. Cog-
nizan t o f t his f act, LINLEA , f or example, has p u t in
place mechanisms to prevent political manipulation.To
prevent conflict of interest, la w enforcement officers
appointed by the president to executive positions in
la w enforcement agencies are prohibited from hold-
ing office in the Association. Like wise, LINLEA officers
ap p oin ted by t he presiden t t o serve in la w en f orce-
ment agencies must resign their positions within the
Associatio n if t hey accep t t he presiden tial ap p oin t-
ment.
Affiliations with international law enforcement groups
can help to give associations an international profile
and signal international support. M embers, particu-
larly the executive committee, must be alert and vigi-
lant in detecting any attempts by the government to
infiltrate the organization or co-opt members.
Transferability II:
Promoting human rights
engagement in police associations
A ny at temp t by h uman rig h ts activists to promo te
p ositive en gagemen t w it h t he p olice must be d o ne
w it h an at tit u de, a style o f commu nicatio n, an d an
approach that take into account the political and dip-
lomatic realities of the t w o groups. Human rights ac-
tivists need to respect that the la w enforcement pro-
f essio n has its o w n cult ure, pro f essio nal stan dards,
and modes of expression, which may be different than
those of many human rights NG Os. The la w enforce-
men t commu nity, even u n der t he best o f circum-
16
stances, is vulnerable to attack—both physical attack
from some o f the violent situations it is obligated to
co n fro n t, an d p olitical at tack from allies o f any tar-
gets of la w enforcement activities. This vulnerability
naturally creates a resistance to criticism from the
outside, and a highly developed sense of collegial re-
spect within the profession, a respect based on shared
risks and stresses.
In a situatio n w here la w en f orcemen t has been ac-
cused o f misbehavior, or h uman rig h ts gro u ps have
been vociferously critical of la w enforcement, this dy-
namic will further complicate communication and col-
laboration.
In any case, h uman rig h ts gro u ps need t o ap proach
and seek out allies within the la w enforcement com-
munity, conveying sensitivity to the difficult situation
the police face, and support for the professional aspi-
rations they have. As in any profession, la w enforce-
ment practitioners are more likely to respond to ne w
ideas if t h ose ideas arise from o ne o f t heir o w n. Hu-
man rig h ts w orkers sh o uld t h us n o t try t o co nvince
the police in general to change their approach to hu-
man rig h ts, b u t rat her seek o u t in fluen tial allies in-
side t he instit u tio n w h o can co nvince o t hers. These
allies need to be professionals capable of influencing
others, and independent thinkers willing to question
the status quo.
Ho w does one find these allies with aspirations to im-
prove t he pro f essio nal an d moral in tegrity o f t heir
institution? There are several avenues. In many places
civil society gro u ps already have close co n tact w it h
t he p olice an d may be in terested in yo ur w ork. For
instance, NG Os that w ork w ith victims or o f f en ders
have freq uen t co n tact w it h p olice, an d w ill already
have developed trusting relationships with some of-
ficers. University professors that do educational w ork
w it h t he p olice w ill also have b uilt u p relatio nships
with the institution, and may have good advice about
influential individuals in the department w ho might
promote such thinking.
Human rights organizations can also encourage col-
lab orative relatio nships w it h la w en f orcemen t pro-
fessionals in their other activities—by inviting them,
for instance, to human rights conferences and forums,
an d by organizin g seminars o n t o pics o f in terest t o
the police. Such forums may serve as a catalyst in per-
suading professionals to organize themselves and in-
fluence t heir colleag ues. In divid uals w it h legal an d
research backgrounds may establish institutes to con-
duct research on the prevailing la ws, crime, and crimi-
nal justice p olices an d practices, an d liaise w it h la w
en f orcement authorities to discuss findings and rec-
ommendations. Such institutions may also have a train-
ing component to provide technical or advanced train-
ing for la w enforcement practitioners.
Human rights organizations can also encourage their
international counterparts to organize forums involv-
ing la w enforcement. If local police chiefs are invited
t o an in ternatio nal f orum co-sp o nsored by in terna-
tio nal h uman rig h ts gro u ps as w ell as in ternatio nal
la w en f orcement associations, the link bet w een the
t w o communities gains further credibility, and the lo-
cal la w en f orcemen t pro f essio nal is given a special
opportunity to learn and share with other profession-
als in both fields.

Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 17

 N OTES

18
 N OTES

Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force 19

To print or dowload this and other publications in the Tactical Notebook Series,
go to w w w.newtactics.org.
O nline yo u w ill also fin d a searchable database o f tactics an d
f orums f or discussio n w it h o t her h uman rig h ts practitio ners.

The Center f or Victims o f Torture

Ne w Tactics in Human Rig h ts Project
717 East River Road
M in neap olis, M N 55455
w w w.cvt.org / cvt@cvt.org
w w w.ne w tactics.org / ne w tactics@cvt.org