The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has officially validated its Strategic Development Plan (SDP) for 2025-2029 during a session held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Academy conference room, which saw significant participation from various stakeholders.
The validation exercise was aimed at incorporating public feedback and ensuring comprehensive scrutiny of the document, which will guide the SLP’s operations over the next four years. During the validation session, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. William Fayia Sellu, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their contributions.
He emphasised the critical importance of resources—such as technology, personnel, and financial support—in implementing the new Strategic Development Plan. “In formulating this SDP, we analysed both our successes and setbacks in the previous plan (2020-2024), addressing the resource limitations that led to past challenges,” he stated. IGP Sellu highlighted innovative policy initiatives designed to ease the burden on the judiciary by resolving minor infractions informally at police stations rather than escalating them to court.
“Community policing remains a cornerstone of our approach, fostering positive relations with local communities, which in turn encourages citizens to share valuable information regarding crime,” he added. He also expressed appreciation for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a supportive partner, underscoring its role in strengthening Sierra Leone’s security framework.
“The finalised Strategic Development Plan will guide our operations for the next four years, helping the SLP transition from a force into a service, with implementation set to commence in 2025,” he affirmed, announcing plans for a force-wide sensitisation campaign to prepare officers for this transition.
Reflecting on the transformative changes that occurred in 2024, IGP Sellu noted that the new SDP aligns with the government’s objectives, particularly the “big five game changers” of His Excellency Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio. He assured stakeholders of the dedicated implementation of the SDP, emphasising the need for government support in certain areas.
Retired Assistant Inspector General Morie Lengoh voiced his approval of IGP Sellu’s strategic vision, stressing the importance of detailed planning to achieve targeted goals. He commended the UNDP for its ongoing support and urged attendees to meticulously scrutinise the document to ensure a thorough validation process.
UNDP representative Mr George Baratashvili commended the SLP’s commitment to consulting citizens during the validation of their Strategic Development Plan. He highlighted the importance of public engagement in building robust police-community relations and reaffirmed UNDP’s willingness to continue assisting the SLP.
Before the group discussions on the SDP, AIG Sylvester M.N. Koroma, Regional Police Commander for Freetown West, provided an overview of the document, outlining its development process, objectives, vision statement, core values, and a review of the previous SDP (2020-2024). He highlighted the lessons learned from prior experiences to improve future strategies. Following the presentations, participants engaged in in-depth deliberations and group discussions to finalise the validation process.
