The Liberia National Police (LNP) in partnership with the European Union (EU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday, 23 June 2023 inaugurated the Data Collection and Registration Center (DACORE) of Liberia.
The important milestone achievement seeks to boost and implement the West African Police Information System Program (WAPIS) in Liberia.
Serving as keynote speaker, Liberian Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musa Dean said it's important to thank the head of ECOWAS for embracing the WAPIS concepts advanced by the West African Chiefs of police committee (WAPPCO) to combat transnational organized crimes and terrorism digital information sharing in real-time.
He stated that this can't be done without the effort of the European Union which provided the funding for the program, and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) which implemented the WAPIS Program/operations in ECOWAS countries and Mauritania.
The Liberian Justice Minister narrated that it is perhaps noteworthy to state that Liberia joined the West African Police Information System in the latter part of 2017 and was immediately appointed to a single point of contact (SPOC).
"Liberia signed the memorandum of incorporation (MOI) with Interpol in October 2018, thus becoming the first country in the region to have signed such MO," he said.
Office space was identified, renovated, and equipped through intervention from INTERPOL for DACORE.
He added that officers from the Liberia National Police, Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LEDA ) have been trained to operate the WAPIS equipment at their respective institutions.
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Cllr. Dean further said that INTERPOL resumed activities in Liberia after facing several setbacks during the initial phase of the implementation of the WAPIS Program including COVID-19, the Mid-term Senatorial election, and the completion and signing of the legal framework for the program.
The head of WAPIS Program Mr. Richard Gotwe said DACORE Liberia will allow Liberia to join the 15 WAPIS participant countries
that have already established their DACORE in the region.
This DACORE will assist in the collection, storage, analysis, and sharing of electronic criminal data among the Law Enforcement Agencies in Liberia and reinforce their capacity to collaborate with other Law Enforcement Agencies outside Liberia.
