The Police Commissioner of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Major General Philip Madut Tong, has emphasized the importance of cooperation between the police and the community to effectively address criminal activities throughout the state.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday regarding security updates, General Madut acknowledged the relatively stable security situation across the state and disclosed the deployment of armed personnel in Aweil town and other areas.
“Fortunately, the security situation is currently calm. However, we urge all citizens to promptly report any criminal incidents to the police, as enhancing security is the role of all citizens. While security measures have improved, we cannot assume that it is going to be 100% perfect and that there will be no criminal activities. There may be individuals who, despite apparent satisfaction, will still engage in harmful activities against others,” stated Madut.
Rose Deng, a resident of the Malou Aweer Residential Area in Aweil town, welcomed the collaboration between the community and the police, emphasizing the significance of community reporting for the swift apprehension of criminals. She expressed, “It is a good policy because when something happens in the community, people must quickly inform the police so that the criminals are arrested. The police can respond immediately when they get information from the community.”
However, a concerned citizen, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed dissatisfaction with the relationship between the police and the community, citing unfair treatment when exercising freedom of expression.
The source revealed, “The police-community relationship lacks fairness, as the police do not trust civilians. They tend to scrutinize individuals and hold them accountable for expressing their views. There is a pressing need for the Ministry of Information to bridge this gap by conducting awareness campaigns on freedom of expression.”
Due to the sensitive nature of their remarks, the source requested anonymity.