By Joseph Sherman
Washington, D.C. U.S.A

Since the disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants in Liberia, the biggest obstacle that is facing the country is crime.   Post-war countries have a history of serious crime problem because majority of the young people that participated in the war are illiterate, unskilled and unemployed. 

Looking at the Liberian situation through this lens, high crime levels are predictable.  Liberia is one of the countries that has suffered more from war than any other region in recent decades, and provides some of the best illustrations of how the line between crime and conflict can become blurred.  The Liberian civil war was brutal, and the impact of this violence on individuals, social structures and the state can have long-lasting repercussions.  This does not mean that Liberia is doomed to criminality but it does indicate that the new government should anticipate challenges in this areas and plan for them. 

The recent armed robbery incident at the home of Associate Justice, Emmanuel Wreh on the VP Old Road, Sinkor is a case in point of the possibility of high crime rate in Liberia.  The youth population in the country, aged between 15 and 24 comprises a significant proportion of the population with those under 15 averaging 40%.  These teenaged and young adults commit most of the crime, which means that a greater part of society falls into the pool of potential offenders.  Many of these young people are not enrolled in educational programs and cannot find employment. 

Poorly resourced criminal justice system in Liberia, ultimately impacts criminals’ conviction; even if the police performs optimally, offenders are less likely to be punished for their wrong doings than those in developed countries, such a system cannot effectively deter, incapacitate, or rehabilitate criminals. 

Crime may interfere with Liberia’s development.  It will degrade the quality of life and can create a brain drain by forcing skilled workers overseas.  Both foreign and domestic investors see crime a sign of social instability which drives up the cost of doing business.  Crime is more expensive for post-war Liberia and disadvantaged households because the struggle to cope with the traumas of the past is imminent. 

Finally, if the new government does not implement appropriate measures to curtail the escalating crime rate in Liberia, the trust relationship between the people and the state will be undermined.  When people lose confident in the criminal justice system, they may engage in vigilantism as evident in the recent killings of alleged criminals in Monrovia, this will further undermine the state and the democratic process.

About The Author: Joseph S. Sherman (MIP, MSA) was a broadcast journalist with the erstwhile ELCM Radio, Monrovia, Liberia, and former general editor of the FOOTPRINTS newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At present he is Features Editor of the Cocorioko online newspaper, and Director of a multi-cultural Adult Education Center in Washington DC