PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado County — The Liberia National Police (LNP) on Wednesday, February 4th, launched a community–police partnership drive with car washers in the Swankamore Community, donating identification vests and outlining a code of conduct aimed at boosting public safety, preventing theft from vehicles, and strengthening neighborhood trust.
Assistant Police Commissioner Samuel Ford, head of the Community Services Section, led the outreach at the car wash spot, which is a stone’s throw from Depot 3, alongside the depot commander, Inspector Kontoe Bondo George, Commander, Zone 8 Depot 3 (Palace). He said the initiative is backed by Inspector General Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman as part of a broader push to “take the police to the people” and bring citizens into problem‑solving at the community level.
“We have come as partners in progress,” APC Ford told the car washers. “You are here making your daily bread. This is what we want in society—we don’t want you going about stealing or doing other bad things. These vests, marked ‘Zone Eight,’ will help you be clearly identified so strangers don’t slip into your midst and create problems.”
Ford urged the group to uphold integrity and report suspicious activity. “Everything we do must be grounded in honesty,” he said. “If you see a phone or valuables in a vehicle, you do not take it—you return it. People will trust you because you are truthful. And remember, crime can happen anywhere; while you wash cars, you may see what the depot commander does not. Report it.”
The vests are individually numbered—beginning with 001 for the car washers’ head—to establish a simple roster and deter unauthorized entrants. “We want proper identification and uniqueness,” the depot leadership said. “No gambling, no fights, no drugs, no disrespect to law enforcement. Anyone who wants to join must be properly vetted.”
Jerry, the head of the car washers in Swankamore, thanked the LNP and pledged close collaboration. “This gesture will help us be identified, and no one who is not authorized will be among us,” he said. “Anything we see that is not okay, we will help the police.”
Local residents and officers at the scene said the area—once difficult to traverse—has seen marked improvement since police stepped up presence at the site. “We have restored sanity and livelihood here,” one officer said. “People now walk freely, even at night. That is the result of police–community collaboration.”
The LNP team called the handover “just the beginning,” promising additional joint activities, safety education, and structured engagement with informal workers who serve as daily eyes-and-ears along busy corridors. “This is the easier way of getting the police to the public and the public to the police,” an officer noted. “A smooth collaboration makes everyone safer.”
APC Ford closed with a charge: “Remain peaceful. Do not engage in violence or bad acts, including taking illicit drugs. Keep working alongside your police so together we can keep Liberia safe.”
Follow The Liberian Post on Facebook and X (formerly twitter)
