Businessmen, women, commuters& others cry for Police intervention
What commuters, business people and others describe as lawlessness and hooliganism and other forms of illegal activities have returned to the nation’s largest business district of Red-Light in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
According to the affected Liberians and foreign business people, most of the lawlessness and hooliganism are being carried out by some notorious motorcyclists and drug addicted youth.
Among the several acts of hooliganism and lawlessness being carried out include, but are not limited to high jacking of mobile phone, money, bags containing lap tops and other valuable such as jewelleries.
The height of such ugly activities, according to the affected Liberians and business people are the early morning hours and late hours at night. And this situation is said to causing fear and unbearable socio-economic hardships on residents who are at the mercy of the criminals.
The victims of the robbers say at times some are stabbed by with small knives or razor blade the criminals carry.
The affected Liberians and foreign business people also claim that several complaints have been filed at the various police stations and depots in Monrovia’s Paynesville suburb and its environs.
They further pointed out that their complaints and sentiments yet to be addressed by the relevant security agencies in the crime infested commercial district of Paynesville outside Monrovia.
Police officers contacted during the many hot pursuits and raids told this writer at the weekend that their efforts are being challenged by lack of logistics to beat back the suspected criminals at the heavily populated market of Red-Light in Paynesville.
When some of the Liberia National Police (LNP) detail commanders were contacted by this writer, they emphatically declined comments and only noted that they are not clothed with authority to official comments on the shock wave of crimes at the Red-Light and other markets.
In a bid to find a practical and permanent solution to the grave situation at Liberia’s biggest commercial hub, commuters, businessmen and women have stressed the urgent need for the intervention of the Police Inspector General, Colonel Patrick Sudue and crack team of crime investigators.
In separate comments, some of the affected businessmen, women and commuters over the weekend, all point to the glaring fact that urgent actions must be instituted at the Red-Light and other business outfits, in order to beat back the suspected criminals.
A 58-year-old businessman Frank L. Smart, wholesale dealer of plastic dishes and locally made cooking pots, noted that practical and sustained steps must be taken now in order to protect businessmen, women, commuters and ordinary citizens at the Red-Light Market in Paynesville.
Asked to shed light on who are the main perpetrators of crimes at the Red-Light Market, Mr. Smart claimed that majority of the motorcyclists are prime suspects and should regulated now to avert hardships on the unsuspecting business people.
“Personally, I am afraid that some us will soon employ other means of defending and protecting ourselves from the hooligans and their sponsors at this big market place,” Mr. Smart warned.
Businesswoman Elizabeth B. Washington, wholesale and retail dealer of used clothes and imported plastic slippers pointed out that the situation of lawlessness and thievery at the Red-Light Market is becoming an entrenched menace.
“I want police and other security people to take full responsibility of protecting all our business entities and assets during the peak business hours in the evening effective immediately,” Madam Washington stressed. Report by Edwin Fayia, III