Notes

The Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Combating Crime in Sierra Leone
Introduction

I.C.Ts is essential in the world generally and developing countries to be specific. I.C.Ts have created significant impact in lots of areas with regards to national development. Whenever we take a look at the economy of the country, education, religion, Social Science and Technology we can see that I.C.Ts have contributed a whole lot in improving these areas. You may tend to wonder how but as you read along you'll understand and start to see the importance of I.C.Ts in developing countries (Johnson, 2008).

I.C.Ts make reference to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It really is similar to information technology (I.T), but makes a speciality of communication technologies. This consists of the internet, wireless networks, cell phones, along with other communication mediums (Marke, 2003).

I.C.Ts are concerned mainly with information management that's, acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics based communication of computer and telecommunication as its main fields (Julliet, 2001).

The Role of ICTs in Organisations

If any organization just like the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Sierra Leone is to grow and develop then there has to be effective and efficient communication in the organisation. Information whether it is pictorial, textual, written or vocal form through which an information is communication throughout or the reviser for the effective running of the organization the utilization of I. C. T. is important because it helps it be very easy through the use of cell phone, computers and other devices that we use to communicate information is due to the fact that we have what we call I. C. Ts. (Johnson 2008).

? Through I. C.Ts. technology user might have easy access to information through an e-mail through by this it save the time of the staff just through by visiting his/her e-mail address he/she will know about the latest development in Criminal Investigation Department, without going to his/her or boss for information;

? I. C. Ts. have played very vital role in social media marketing activities and the usage of internet through the years in fact it is still making positive impact in our society today. Without I.C.Ts;

? I.C.Ts. have made it possible for an individual in a single country to order goods from another country, electronically from a second and pay for it electronically in a third.
I. C.Ts. Have changed the planet industrial revolution forms from the mine tenth century and this change is permanent, because it creates new economic activities, new relations of production, new political forces, new job, and new outlook of life;
? I.C.Ts. have plays great role in medical sector of Criminal Investigation

Department by improving on healthcare awareness delivery and public awareness on important health issue. Through I. C. Ts. you can can get access to medical information and trained specialists can reduce suffering and saves lives (Peter, 2005).

Historical background of the (C. I.D) in Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone POLICE is the brainchild of the British government. Its inception dates dating back to to 1808 when Freetown was declared a British Crown Colony. In the absence of a formal organized body to help keep the peace, some retired British Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates were appointed by Magistrates to come quickly to Sierra Leone to maintain law and order. Between 1863-1888 the then POLICE had metamorphosed to be able to address the ugly incidents, that have been rearing their heads especially through the 1881 Koya and 1888 Sherbro disturbances. These disturbances resulted in the development of police across the frontier. In 1889, therefore, the authorities was divided- military and frontier duties were taken over by the Frontier Police white Civilian duties were left with the Frontier Police subsequently became referred to as the Court Messenger Force, and were made responsible for the colony.

On the 27th October 1894, in the Royal Gazette of that date, the civil police in the colony were given the designation "The Sierra Leone Police Force" - (S. L.P.F) which has remained unchanged to this day. Captain V.F. Laphan was seconded from the Army to regulate the authorities force, with the rank of superintendent and Mr. Brooks, a metropolitan officer, was appointed inspector of police. In 1909 superintendent Brooks was appointed the initial commissioner of police.

No real significant strides occurred in the force, until, Mr. C. H. Ward, (O.B.E.) Superintendent of Police from Nigerian, took over command of the force as Commissioner of Police form Captain P. T. Brodie, in 1943. The effectiveness of the force was 300, including two (2) expatriates, the Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner and Africans filled the rest another ranks. The serious civil disturbances led to the quick introduction of the Riot Squad which was subsequently trained to contain further riots. Mr. Ward raised the strength to 600 which created a welcome and overdue upsurge in promotion chances. For the very first time Africans were promoted to the rank of Assistant superintendent of Police (A. S. P) and a fleet of vehicles comprising cars, lorries, bike and bicycles was later obtained.

He started the correct training school at Port Loko in 1944, which was later transferred to the naval camp at hasting where it stands to this day. He also started local communications between police departments and eventually replace this by way of a police wireless communication system which today cover the whole country. Mr. Ward was succeeded by J. P. I. Forde who raised the strength to 1 1,000, sent the first African sub-inspector to train a Henden which continued thenceforth. He introduced the first proper FORCE STANDING ORDERS (F. S. O.) the police FEDERATION and POLICE COUNICIL. In 1952 Mr. W. G. Syer took over and wasted no time in taking policing to the provinces which resulted in its expansion. He affiliated the police force to International Police Organization (INTERPOL) and disbanded the Riot Squad, there by introducing a system in which every police officer was taught not duties whatever section of the force he might be attached to.

Between 1963-1969 Mr. L. W. Leigh became the first Sierra Leonean Commissioner of Police and under his leadership a police Act was established in 1964 that was meant to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the Sierra Leone police force that's, the protection of life and property, the prevention and detection of crime and the apprehension of offenders between 1969-1972, Mr. Jenkins M.E.G Smith became the next Sierra Leone commissioner of police who led the force through Republic in 1971.

The uniform at the moment contains grey shorts and grey jacket with black shoes and cummerbund. Section 174 of the Sierra Leone Constitution of 1978 changed the traditional role of the force by the appointment of the ten Commissioners of Police, Mr. P. C. Kaetu Smith [1973- 1979] as one of the seven (7) appointed members of parliament by the Executive president, thus politicizing the role of the police force.

Between 1981- 1984, Honorable C Kaetu Smith was succeeded by Hon. J. A. Grant. In 1986, Hon. P. M. Johnson becomes the first inspector - General of police. On the 1st of January, 1987, the force was re- divisionalized into police divisions each division being represented by letters, ranging from "A" to "N" and each division commanded by a chief officer [C. P. O]. We were holding further sub-divided into police Districts and placed under the command of the officer commanding districts [o/c] who can be a Deputy Superintendent of police or Assistant Superintendent of Police (A.S.P.).

In 1987 Hon. James Bambay Kamara succeeded by Mr. P.M. Johnson. In December, 1991, in a bid to redeem the nice image of the Sierra Leone POLICE which had seriously dented by politics, the British Government sent Mr. Keith Lewis, a retired British Superintendent of Police to restructure the force. A number of police courses were then introduced in to the curriculum to be able to improve the force in policing a modern democratic society classes just like the Junior and Senior Management Courses Trainers course, criminal investigation Department course known as the Yorkshire Course was introduced which went quite a distance to restructure the authorities.

The democratically elected Government of Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba in 1996 solicited the services of the British Government to greatly help further restructure the Sierra Leone POLICE. The British Government responded by sending a team known as the Commonwealth Police Development Task Force. which was headed by the Inspector-General of police, Mr. Kieth Biddle.Beneath the dynamic leadership of the British born Inspector- General of police, the Sierra Leone police is gradually regained the confidence of the public through the change management under the new restructured program, so the force may become "Force For Good' which is its known for today. (Sierra Leone Police Prospectus 2014).

Activities of Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

The following are the actions untaken by CID of the Sierra Leone Police:

Documentation

Crimes scene investigators are charged with the duty of formally documenting the crime scene. This documentation is normally permanent and constitutes the official record of the investigation. It could be forwarded to officers and police agencies for further use and investigation. Documentation includes photograph, diagrams and sketches, and written notes. At this time, the crimes scene investigation usually make some sort of initial interpretation of the evidence accessible and document the actions taken by the investigators at the actions taken by the investigators at the scene Effective documentation allows for an accurate re-party, such as a forensics team.

Legal Duties

The investigator must carry out numerous legal duties in relation to previous work. Based on their investigation, crime scene investigators help lawyers along with other legal officials prepare criminal proceedings. They normally meet to describe their official reports and the evidence, making certain it's understood. Investigators are also called on to testify in court, where they're the foremost authority on which was found on the scene and what conclusions were drawn.

They must have the ability to explain what the evidence means and why certain conclusions seem compelling predicated on investigation. Crime scene investigators must also be familiar with National and state laws sufficient reason for relevant case law to place the data in perspective.

Evidence Collection

Once the scene has been secured, surveyed and documented, the crime scene investigator leads an effort to collect relevant evidence. This process can be slow and requires a lot of patience, along with the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with others. An capability to properly and delicately deploy equipment is paramount here. Evidence, such as articles of clothing hair, nail clippings and fiber samples, should be collected in that manner that its integrity is preserved. Labeled and sealed pouches maintain the integrity of the evidence plus the chain of custody. The investigator also is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the crime scene by roping off the area, keeping witnesses from tampering with evidence and making spots where evidence was collected.

Search

The initial search, also known as scene recognition, may be the first walkthrough that or crime scene investigator takes. Upon the initial examination, the crime scene investigator develops a technique to approach the scene and apprehend evidence. This may include factors such as what directing to go in, prioritizing evidence that might disappear or be harmed; and determining what equipment and resources are essential to effectively take stock of the problem. The crime scene investigator can assemble and lead the team to investigate the scene and collect evidence. Murder scenes, for example, may require investigators to get blood and tissue samples, fingerprint, shoe casings. A robbery may necessitate fingerprints, from points of entry along with other surfaces the burglar may have touched.

Examples of ICTs utilized by the C I D

In modern times, policing has been done with the usage of technological what to enable them carryout their activities with the ease and for effective and efficient service delivery. ICTs. make reference to technologies that provide access to information, through telecommunication which is similar to information technology (I T), but here focus is primarily on communication technologies. This includes the web, wireless networks, mobile phones along with other communication media The following information communication technologies are used by the CID of the Sierra Leone police

? Closed-Circuit television (CCTV): to monitor events/ happenings of their areas of responsibilities also to be utilized as pictorial/ visual evidence in court and for records purposes.

? Digital Cameras: these are used to take snap shots of enable effective and efficient investigations with real evidence to be tendered in court as evidence.

? Drivers: they are used to save/keep useful information about an investigation such as progress reports, abstract reports, summary of evidence, and proceedings/rulings in regards to a matter.

? Photo Copiers: they are primarily used to duplicate reports and other documents to be distributed to various authorities concerned because of their personal directives and necessary action.

? Scanners: these are most typical now because of terrorist threats and can be used for humans, cars and for baggage's so as to detect / prevent crime and worries of crime also to restore confidence in the populace. It can be used to detect any offensive objects/ weapons also to prevent any mishap.

? Computers: are now commonly used to investigate criminal worldwide. By using computers, the Interpol can track criminals from every continent and the many police headquarters can liaise with each other to have the desired outcome. Also, could computing has been so much influential investigations in order to locate the where about of criminals and to track their acts/actions and accomplices.

how to clean an iron associated with the usage of ICTs and information delivery of the CID in the Sierra Leone Police.

? Power Challenges: Insufficient consistent and affordable electricity is the foremost challenge in designing a computing infrastructure for criminal information (or any application that matter). Almost all criminal investigation facilities in the criminal investigation department haven't any main power and, where available, such power is usually extremely unreliable or so unstable that it poses a threat to unprotected electronic equipment.

? Environmental Challenges: The physical environment in Sierra Leone and generally in most other areas in the united kingdom is seen as a some combination of heat, dust and humidity, each of that is a problem for standard computers. High speed Central Processing Units generate enormous amounts of heat that, if not properly dissipated, reduces performance or can render these systems in operable. Dust threatens sensitive electronics by shorting circuits and impeding airflow and heat dissipation. Humidity leads to condensation corrosion and also mold, which could cause electrical problems and perhaps shorten equipment lifespan.

? Connectivity Challenges: Insufficient affordable connectivity and bandwidth in the principal obstacle to several of the very most promising criminal investigation applications in the CID, including training initiatives along with other real- time support Lack of connectivity also complicates more basic efforts to get and analyse criminal information.

CONCLUSION

It really is increasingly clear that information is the life blood of the CID system. Accurate, timely and accessible crime information strengthens literally every section of the system, from policy making, to logistic and training. On the other hand, inefficient crime information systems have problems with an information anemia that weakens the machine.

Sadly, all too many crime systems in the developing world still suffer from the equivalent information shock, something threaten condition characterized by the inability to create access or act on even the most essential crime information. Success or failure of ICTs deployment in Criminal Investigation Department depends on access to affordable, integrated solutions that are both sustainable in low resource setting and adaptable to local condition invented is actively developing and deploying such system specially to handle this need. Hence, it is quite necessary to remember that ICTs play a crucial and crucial role in enhancing the successful provision, management and delivery of information in combating crimes.

References

Johnson, Jade (2008). ICTs in Developing Nations. London: Aslib.

Julliet, Roy (2001). The Impact of ICTs in the Educational Sector. London: Sage Publication Limited.

Marke, Richard (2003). ICTs in Education. London: ASLIB.

Peter, Jones (2005). Information Management. London: Oxford University Press.

Sierra Leone Police Prospectus (2014). Freetown: Government Printing Department.
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