I gave up on the Gambia Police Force and other security apparatuses for philosophical perspectives. The Gambia Police Force (GPF) is currently a pseudo-political movement of the NPP party. The GPF continually shames every patriotic citizen who once wore the uniform and is not engaged in dispensing justice and upholding the rule of law but instead pursues and advances the political agenda of the ruling NPP.Like it or not, but there is infinite evidence to give credence to such assertions.
If the police knew their jobs quite well, they should not allow themselves to be dragged by personnel of the Baker’s Union into the premises of a man who was selling bread at a reasonable price to residents, which the government fails to do. The police must at all times conform to the law and not the other way around.
There is little or no respect for police officers in the Gambia due to how corrupt most of them seem to be, making citizens give them the generalization of dirty cops without knowing that we still have decent and upright police officers. In as much as we separate churches and mosques from political discussions, police officers should have basic knowledge of loyalty to the state, loyalty to the head of state or loyalty to the police command but rather should be loyal to the laws of the Gambia.
Essentially, their jobs should be uniquely distinctive in treating every Gambian justly under the law. The GPF should work on a specialized unit that will police the police force in all fronts to hold them accountable whenever they break the law. Police accountability must not be hidden in books but should be published in newspapers for the public to read and understand to deter others from doing the same. Covering up for police officers whenever they violate the moral code of conduct and basic procedural laws is a validation of why police officers continue to violate the laws and abuse citizens with impunity without any repercussions.
Objectively, our nation is destroyed beyond repair, and the gross incompetence and mal-governance, and our ill egocentric complacency in not doing things by the law and ethical standards, led us to where we are today. The sad thing is it is worsening by the minute, making it untenable, and if we are not careful, we will slip back into a military rule, as the warning signs are so obviously crystal clear for the wisest to see.
The condition of the Gambia is not only tragic but suicidal and unlivable, and Gambians do not learn until disaster strikes. We are in a lawless state where anarchy will send a strong wave of rude awakening, since those who are the custodians of the law, protection of life, and properties of citizens choose to violate the same laws with a badge of honor. Such a country is a banana republic.
Our law enforcement officers, with as little pay as they receive as salaries, contributed to the failures of the Gambia in respect to the rule of law and abuse of office. This is not because they lack capacity but because patriotism is lacking in most uniformed men and women of our country, and if we were to go with credibility and vetting processes of officers, many in uniforms, including their leadership, would be stripped of their positions. So, until the police force separates itself from politicians and does just law enforcement, citizens will continue to lose hope in them, and that is a disservice to their sworn oath of allegiance.
