“If citizens perceive the Liberian National Police force to be more accountable, then trust in the security sector will be increased.” — Search for Common Ground
94%
Percentage of the population believe the Liberian National Police is corrupt
#1
Liberia's place on the Global Corruption Barometer’s list of most corrupt countries
August 2014 End date
January 2016
Issue
Most Liberians don’t trust the police. According to a Transparency International survey carried out in 2012, a majority of the population believes the Liberian National Police are corrupt, and Liberia regularly tops the Global Corruption Barometer’s list of most corrupt countries in the world.
The lack of effective reporting and enforcement of anti-corruption measures has led to an acceptance that corruption is a normal way of working, and the government’s continued failure to address the issue has dampened hopes that it is possible to achieve change.
Project
Search for Common Ground has created an SMS system that publicly monitors misconduct by Liberian National Police officers. The project helps to give a voice to those who feel there is no outlet for their grievances or who don't report corruption-related misdemeanours for fear of reprisal.
The project team is working with senior figures in the police force to use this system to prompt dialogue around the issue of corruption, and to challenge expectations that these incidents cannot be discussed openly.
Search for Common Ground aims to confront the lack of trust between the Liberian National Police and the public, promoting dialogue between government, civil society and the public, and supporting change.
Partner
Search for Common Ground is a non-profit organisation, which focuses on conflict transformation.
The organisation has achieved success with similar projects in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and is building on its substantial research and practitioner evidence base to find a model that not only supports citizens to report issues, but also engages the police force to respond.