Introduction
The strength of any nation’s criminal justice system rests not only on its laws, courts, and correctional facilities, but also on the professionalism of its law enforcement officers. For Liberia — emerging from years of civil conflict and rebuilding its security sector — the need for professional training academies across all law enforcement institutions is vital.
While the Liberia National Police Academy has played a central role in training officers, the distinct missions of other agencies such as the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR), Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Executive Protection Service (EPS), and the Liberia National Fire and Service (LNFS) demand specialized academies tailored to their unique mandates.
This article explores why each law enforcement body in Liberia should operate its own training academy, drawing on local realities, international best practices, and lessons from post-war security sector reform.
- Liberia National Police (LNP)
The LNP is Liberia’s primary law enforcement agency, mandated to maintain law and order, prevent and investigate crimes, and ensure community safety. Its Police Training Academy has historically been the backbone of Liberia’s police reform, especially during and after the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
Why a dedicated Police Academy matters:
Provides standardized recruit training in patrol, investigation, forensics, and community policing.
Offers in-service training on traffic control, riot management, and crowd control.
Builds capacity for specialized units (criminal investigations, anti-robbery, cybercrime).
Without its own academy, the LNP would lack the institutional capacity to sustain reforms and professionalism.
Case study: The 2011 Elections
During the 2011 general elections, the LNP was tested with crowd control, riot management, and maintaining neutrality. Many officers struggled initially, but those trained at the Police Academy under UNMIL mentorship displayed improved professionalism in handling electoral disputes without escalating violence.
This underscores why the LNP’s training academy must continue to be strengthened and
updated — to sustain professionalism and neutrality in democratic processes.
- Liberia Immigration Service (LIS)
The LIS is responsible for border security, migration management, and preventing human trafficking. Its duties differ fundamentally from traditional policing.
Liberia shares long, porous borders with Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire. The LIS faces the challenge of illegal migration, smuggling, and trafficking.
Why LIS should have its own academy:
Border management training: passport and visa verification, biometric systems, and immigration law.
Counter-trafficking and smuggling training: identifying fraudulent documents, detecting human trafficking, and preventing cross-border crime.
International cooperation: training in line with ECOWAS protocols and International Organization
for Migration (IOM) standards.
Training immigration officers alongside police dilutes their specialized mission. A dedicated LIS academy ensures Liberia can secure its borders against threats like terrorism, trafficking, and illegal migration.
Case study: The Ebola Crisis (2014–2015)
During the Ebola outbreak, border control became a matter of national survival. LIS officers at crossing points like Bo Waterside and Ganta were tasked with screening travelers and
coordinating with health authorities. Many struggled due to lack of specialized training in health-related border security. International partners had to conduct emergency training sessions at the borders.
A dedicated LIS training academy would institutionalize border management skills — including crisis response, migration law, and biometric systems — so officers are better prepared for future emergencies.
- Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR)
Corrections officers ensure safe, humane custody of inmates and promote rehabilitation. Their role is custodial and rehabilitative, not policing.
Liberia’s prisons, particularly the Monrovia Central Prison, are often overcrowded and under strain. Corrections officers face daily challenges of security, rehabilitation, and human rights compliance.
Why BCR needs its own academy:
Prison management: classification of inmates, rehabilitation programs, and reintegration processes.
Human rights training: preventing torture, upholding international prison standards (e.g., UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, “Nelson Mandela Rules”).
Crisis management: handling riots, escapes, and medical emergencies.
Mixing corrections officers with police trainees leads to role confusion. A corrections academy fosters a rehabilitation-oriented culture rather than a policing one.
Case study: The 2016 Monrovia Central Prison Riot
Inmates protested over prolonged pretrial detention and poor conditions, leading to a violent confrontation. Officers trained mainly in policing tactics attempted to use force rather than specialized correctional management methods, escalating tensions. International corrections experts later highlighted the need for professional corrections training in conflict de-escalation, inmate classification, and rehabilitation.
A dedicated corrections academy would prevent such incidents by equipping officers with inmate management, psychology, and rehabilitation skills instead of purely force-based approaches.
- Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA)
The rise of drug abuse and trafficking in Liberia, particularly Kush and cocaine, has become a national crisis.
Drug trafficking and abuse present rising threats in Liberia, fueling crime and undermining social stability. The LDEA was established specifically to counter this.
Why LDEA should have its own academy:
Drug interdiction training: intelligence gathering, undercover operations, and controlled deliveries.
Forensic science and toxicology: identifying narcotics and gathering admissible evidence.
International cooperation: aligning with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) standards.
Public education: prevention programs in schools and communities.
Training DEA agents as police officers is insufficient. They need narcotics-specific expertise to combat Liberia’s growing drug crisis.
Case study: The 2022 Cocaine Bust in Monrovia
Liberian security forces intercepted a shipment of cocaine valued at over US$100 million hidden in frozen goods. While the LDEA played a central role, much of the forensic analysis had to be outsourced, and intelligence coordination was difficult because many agents lacked advanced counter-narcotics training.
A dedicated LDEA academy would prepare officers in forensic science, intelligence gathering, and undercover operations to fight organized drug cartels effectively.
- Executive Protection Service (EPS)
The EPS is tasked with protecting the President, senior government officials, and visiting dignitaries. Unlike regular policing, this is a specialized, high-risk mission requiring elite training.
Why EPS should have its own academy:
VIP protection: tactical driving, convoy security, close-quarters battle, and firearms precision.
Counter-surveillance: detecting threats before they materialize.
Crisis response: hostage rescue, evacuation, and rapid tactical interventions.
Confidentiality and professionalism: operating in sensitive political environments.
Training EPS officers at the police academy cannot provide the elite, tactical preparation needed for VIP protection. Like the U.S. Secret Service with its Rowley Training Center, EPS requires a specialized academy to maintain effectiveness and credibility.
Case study: State Visits and Presidential Security
When international dignitaries such as U.S. officials or ECOWAS heads of state visit Liberia, the EPS must coordinate motorcades, secure perimeters, and work with foreign security details. In 2017, during the inauguration of President George Weah, EPS had to quickly scale up protective operations. Many officers were trained at the LNP Academy but required additional crash courses from foreign experts to meet the high standards of VIP protection.
A specialized EPS training academy would institutionalize VIP protection tactics — convoy operations, counter-surveillance, and crisis response — without depending on external trainers.
- Liberia National Fire and Service (LNFS)
The LNFS is responsible for fire suppression, disaster response, and rescue operations. Fire service duties are highly technical and scientific.
Why LNFS should have its own academy:
Fire science and engineering: understanding combustion, hazardous materials, and building safety codes.
Technical rescue training: collapsed building rescue, maritime and aviation fire suppression, and emergency evacuation.
Disaster response: flood management, chemical spill response, and public safety education.
Community outreach: teaching fire prevention in schools and communities.
Police or general academies cannot teach advanced fire engineering and rescue operations. A fire academy ensures firefighters are technically competent and prepared for emergencies.
Case study: The 2019 Quranic School Fire in Paynesville
In 2019, a fire at a Quranic school killed at least 27 children and two teachers. Firefighters struggled to respond quickly due to poor training, lack of rescue equipment, and absence of preventive fire inspections. Public outrage was directed not only at the tragedy but also at the unpreparedness of the Fire Service.
A dedicated Fire Academy would train firefighters in fire science, emergency rescue, and disaster management. It would also equip them to carry out preventive education campaigns to reduce such tragedies in the future.
- Benefits of Specialized Training Academies
- Distinct Mandates Require Distinct Skills
Each institution has different goals: police fight crime, corrections rehabilitate, immigration control borders, DEA fights narcotics, EPS protects leaders, and Fire Service saves lives from hazards. One academy cannot effectively serve all mandates.
- Professional Identity and Culture
Training builds professional culture. Police training emphasizes authority and patrol; corrections emphasize rehabilitation; fire service emphasizes rescue. Having separate academies strengthens professional pride and avoids role confusion.
- Improved Accountability
Separate academies allow for clear performance standards, monitoring, and accountability tied to agency-specific responsibilities.
- Alignment with International Best Practices
U.S. Secret Service → Rowley Training Center (VIP protection).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection → Field Operations Academy.
Firefighters worldwide → Fire Academies (separate from police schools).
Corrections officers → Specialized prison academies.
Liberia should adopt similar models to meet international standards.
- Public Trust and Confidence
When citizens see law enforcement officers as professional, specialized, and accountable, trust increases. Specialized academies improve performance and reduce abuses, strengthening Liberia’s fragile rule of law.
- Challenges and Solutions
Resource Constraints → Begin with modular or joint campuses (e.g., shared facility but separate curricula). Seek donor support (UN, ECOWAS, USAID).
Political Interference → Secure legal autonomy for academies under Ministry of Justice oversight.
Retention of Trained Officers → Link academy training to career incentives, promotions, and improved salaries.
Coordination → Create a National Council on Law Enforcement Training to harmonize curricula where overlap exists (e.g., human rights, ethics, and rule of law).
Conclusion
Liberia’s peace and stability depend on professional, accountable, and specialized law
enforcement institutions. While the Police Training Academy has been foundational, the complexity of modern security challenges demands more. The Immigration Service, Corrections Bureau, DEA, EPS, and Fire Service each require their own dedicated training academies.
Such institutions will:
Equip officers with specialized skills.
Strengthen professionalism and accountability.
Align Liberia with international standards.
Build public trust and ensure long-term security sector reform.
Investing in specialized academies for each law enforcement institution is not a luxury — it is a necessity for a safer, stronger, and more democratic Liberia.
About the Author
Professional Profile Summary
Tarpeh L. U-sayee, Jr. is a seasoned Liberian law enforcement professional, criminal justice professor, and police training expert with a solid foundation in international relations, theology, and public service. With over a decade of experience in both law enforcement and criminal justice education, he currently serves as a trainer at the Liberia National Police Training Academy and lectures at various private universities in Liberia.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service Leadership (International Relations), a Master of Divinity, dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, and an Associate Degree in Management. He is also a prospective doctoral graduate in Church Growth and Ministry.
Mr. U-sayee is a graduate of the Liberia Police Academy, the Louisiana State Police Academy (USA), and the Lagos State Police Academy (Nigeria). As an Apostle and spiritual leader, he brings a unique combination of ethical leadership, academic excellence, and practical field experience. His lifelong mission is centered on peacebuilding, unity, and the advancement of the rule of law in Liberia.
References
- Liberia National Police Act, 2016.
- UNMIL, Security Sector Reform and Police Training in Liberia.
- UNDP, Capacity Building for Liberia Immigration Service.
- Ministry of Justice, Corrections and Rehabilitation Programs in Liberia.
- UNODC, Guidelines for Narcotics Law Enforcement Training.
- U.S. Secret Service, James J. Rowley Training Center.
- NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), International Standards for Fire and Rescue Training.
