Monrovia — The Liberia National Police announced that with funding from the United States and Irish governments, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is in the making and that 143 trainees for the unit have begun weapons training.

According to a police release, the ERU will comprise 500 police officers to carry out special operations in the areas of anti-terrorism, hostage rescue, internal security, tactical anti-crime operations, among others.

The first two classes are expected to graduate shortly and would provide support to the Police Support Unit (PSU) as well as carry out joint patrols with UNMIL following their graduation.

The announcement comes in the face of an urgent need for an effective rapid response unit within the police to combat violent crimes such as armed robbery which has become so frequently deadly to the extent that communities are compelled to rely on vigilantes for protection.

The police have apparently been less effectively responsive in dealing with such violent crimes due to inadequate logistics and the lack of fire power. As a consequence, public confidence in the police is seemingly eroding, and until the police can be seen as rising to the challenge in combating or forestalling violent crimes, the public could maintain an unhealthy disposition of indifference to the police.

It must therefore be hailed that a rapid response unit such as the ERU is now in the making with the hope that it would have prospects of effectively dealing with crimes to restore public trust in the police.

Now that officers of the ERU are being trained and structured, it is also hoped that upon completion of their training, political leaders would have the security will to adequately provide the required tools needed to efficiently run a rapid response police department.

Thanks to the United States and Irish governments for the urgent assistance in funding, for we believe that without a well-trained Emergency Response Unit within the police force, the internal security structure would continue to remain incomplete to the detriment of peaceful residents.