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The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) is set to receive modern equipment to set up 100 crime data collection stations across the country in an effort to combat transnational organised crime. The equipment will be provided by INTERPOL through its West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS) programme.

Genevieve Tity Cowan, INTERPOL’s Director of Police for Sierra Leone, made the announcement at the first WAPIS National Steering Committee meeting held on 18 June 2024 at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel in Freetown.

Commissioner Joseph Ibrahim Lahai, who is also the Director of Crime Services and Representative of the Inspector General of Police, commended the success of the WAPIS programme, saying: “The digitisation of crime data, especially the creation of an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) for law enforcement agencies, is a difficult and complex task. However, it is a key way to combat transnational organised crime in West Africa. We thank INTERPOL for implementing the WAPIS programme.”

Lahai also highlighted the benefits of the I-24/7 system, which streamlines police operations by streamlining data collection, analysis, sharing, referencing and inter-agency interfaces.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Government, Francis Langbabu Kelly, Director of the Office of National Security, acknowledged that transnational organized crime is a problem that knows no borders and requires urgent and robust action. He praised the EU for its financial support for the programme, noting that such resources are not readily available, and stressed the need for an exit strategy to ensure a smooth transition.

“If the government stops sponsoring the program by 2025, it will be difficult for the government to pick up where it left off because these funds are not easily available and the government has to budget for them,” Kelly pleaded with EU representatives. “There is a need to have a transition plan so that the government can plan itself well to accommodate these expenditures.”

The meeting concluded with a discussion of the technical and professional aspects of the WAPIS programme.

SLP Media Team