UNOPS donates equipment to Liberian National Police and Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation

The UN has provided a range of vehicles and uniform material to the Liberian National Police (LNP) and the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation. On Wednesday, February 24, 2010, the United Nations Office for Project Services’ (UNOPS) Chief Technical Adviser and Head of its Country Office, Lakis Papastavrou, handed over a thirty-seater (30) bus and a pickup truck with security features to enable the Bureau to transport prisoners between prisons and courts. UNOPS also donated two fully equipped pickup trucks and fifty sets of uniforms, including boots, to the LNP.

The vehicles handed over to the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation will enable secure transport of prisoners from the Monrovia and Sannequellie Central Prisons to courts, while the pickup trucks will assist LNP in responding quickly to incidents.

“For many years, the lack of secure vehicles to transport prisoners from prison to court, resulted in delays in the trial process,” says Corrections Officer, Ernest Wollor. “These custom-built vehicles will definitely assist us in transporting prisoners securely.”

The UN has provided these vehicles and uniforms as part of its broad support to Liberia’s criminal justice system. It has also constructed or rehabilitated buildings used by the police and courts, including the rehabilitation of part of the LNP headquarters in Monrovia.

The project was implemented by UNOPS and funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF).

About UNOPS: UNOPS is a global UN network dedicated exclusively to assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and non-governmental organizations make significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground through efficient project management and procurement services.