When Inspector General of Police Col. Gregory O.W. Coleman announced that Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) has been elevated to the level of a national security priority, it marked more than a bureaucratic adjustment. It signaled a shift in how Liberia defines security itself.
For too long, security in our national discourse has meant armed robbery, political unrest, or border threats. Yet the most persistent and devastating violence in Liberia has often occurred in homes, schools, and communities — against women and children. By raising SGBV to the National Security Council level, the Liberia National Police (LNP) has reframed the issue from a “social concern” to what it truly is: a threat to national stability and human dignity.
“These are real children, real families, and real communities being affected,” IG Coleman said during a recent appearance on Spoon TV. “It has been made a national security priority.”
That statement deserves both commendation and scrutiny.
The Forensic Gap: Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied
One of the most consequential revelations from the police leadership was Liberia’s continued lack of a certified forensic laboratory. DNA samples in major cases must still be flown abroad for testing — most recently to Rwanda — an arrangement that is financially burdensome and procedurally slow.
“Having a DNA machine alone is not enough,” Coleman clarified. “We need a fully functional forensic laboratory. DNA equipment is just one component.”
He is correct. A single machine does not equal forensic justice. What Liberia needs is a certified lab capable of producing court-admissible results — backed by trained personnel, chain-of-custody protocols, and sustainable funding.
Elevating SGBV to national security status without simultaneously addressing forensic capacity would be symbolic rather than structural. The Build-Operate-Transfer proposal currently under discussion must not stall in bureaucratic inertia. It must move forward with urgency.
Every delayed test risks weakening a case. Every weak case risks emboldening perpetrators.
Reform Beyond Rhetoric
The LNP has outlined immediate interventions: refresher training for Women and Children Protection officers, the expansion of SGBV annexes, and improved logistical mapping. These are practical steps, and they matter.
But Liberia must confront a deeper issue: SGBV thrives not only because of investigative gaps but because of cultural silence, institutional fatigue, and inconsistent accountability.
Coleman’s warning against politicizing rape cases is well taken. “Advocacy must be honest,” he said. “These are not political talking points — these are children.”
At the same time, public activism has often forced institutional reform. The balance, therefore, is not to suppress advocacy but to strengthen investigative credibility so that truth — not rumor — drives justice.
Security Is a System, Not a Slogan
Interestingly, the same interview that elevated SGBV also revealed significant crime reduction claims, expanded community policing strategies, and stricter traffic enforcement — including planned arrest warrants for unpaid tickets.
These developments are not unrelated.
Security functions as a system. A force that strengthens internal discipline, increases visibility, and modernizes enforcement mechanisms builds public confidence. And public confidence is indispensable in SGBV cases, where victims must trust institutions enough to report crimes.
The LNP’s emphasis on accountability — publicly disciplining officers and strengthening the Professional Standards Division — is essential. A police force that cannot police itself cannot credibly protect vulnerable populations.
Yet reform requires resources.
Liberia’s police-to-citizen ratio remains far below international standards. Officers earn modest salaries. The force remains underfunded. Elevating SGBV to national security status must also translate into budgetary prioritization.
Declarations without funding create frustration. Funding without oversight creates waste. Liberia must pursue both.
The Broader National Test
Elevating SGBV to a national security priority places responsibility not only on the police but on the entire government.
The Ministries of Justice, Health, Gender, and Education must coordinate responses. Courts must ensure timely adjudication. Lawmakers must allocate adequate funding. Civil society must maintain pressure while guarding against misinformation.
Security is not solely about patrol vehicles and checkpoints. It is about whether a 14-year-old child feels protected. It is about whether forensic evidence can stand in court. It is about whether perpetrators believe they will face consequences.
If SGBV is truly a national security issue, then it demands national seriousness.
Liberia stands at an important crossroads. The rhetoric has been elevated. The priority has been declared. The public is watching.
The question now is whether policy, infrastructure, and sustained political will will follow.
Because when a nation protects its most vulnerable, it strengthens its foundation. And when it fails them, no amount of checkpoints or patrols can compensate.
Follow The Liberian Post on Facebook and X (formerly twitter)
