By Ndey Sowe
Tamsir M. Jasseh, an independent candidate vying for the position of president in December, 2021 election, has revealed that security will be his top agenda when he wins.
“Our administration will restructure the Gambia Police Force to reflect two major components. There will be the National Command of the Gambia Police Force and the Regional Command. Each command will employ a unique policing strategy that is designed for the Gambia,” he said
He added that the two policing strategies will be known as the Gambia Police System. He said for the first time, the Gambia Police Force will have two Deputy Inspector General of Police, one for the Regional Command, and one for the National Command.
Jasseh made these and other assurances on Thursday, 1st July, 2020 at a press conference held at a local hotel in Senegambia. The press conference was meant to introduce him as the new presidential candidate under the name of Gambia our Home Land.
“The regional command will be made up of the general duty force and will have only regional jurisdiction. As such, there will be seven regional police departments namely, Banjul, KMC, WCR, NBR, LRR, CRR, URR Regional Police Departments respectively,” he said.
Meanwhile, he also promised Gambian that when elected into office, he will ensure these departments will work independent of each other and the regional police commissioners will report directly to the deputy inspector general of police for the regional command at the police headquarters.
“The National Command of the Gambia Police Force will be composed of the present police intervention unit and the Gambia National Guard,” he said.
Jasseh said the national command will be a specialized para-military force like the former gendarmerie and will have national jurisdiction.
“Our administration is going to wage a war on crime, and we will do so by utilizing the community policing strategy and implementation plan of the Gambia police force,” he said.
With regard to the military, he promised that his administration will restructure, expand and diversify and reorient the military to meet and serve the national interest.
“We will expand the function of the army beyond its traditional role of protecting our territorial integrity. There will be an army corps of engineers and army corps of healthcare technicians,” he noted.
On health services, Jasseh assured that health care services will be free and a major part of the primary health care services will be provided by mobile health clinics that would visit all communities across the country on a weekly basis.
On governance
He said the secret behind the development of most progressive countries is the decentralization of government. “On the top of our agenda is to introduce and implement a decentralization program for the Gambia,” he said.
On Traffic
He said: “Our admiration, within 72 hours after being sworn into office, shall remove all checkpoints in the country and replace them by implementing a new highway patrol unit of the Gambia Police Force.”
Public Transportation
He said: “Our government will address this very important public service by reintroducing a new government owned public transportation service that would move our population in a safe, timely, and affordable manner throughout the length and breadth of the country.”
Biography:
Tamsir M. Jasseh is the first Gambian presidential candidate to possess dual citizenship in the Gambia and the United States of America. He is also the first Gambian war veteran to seek the office of the president of the republic of the Gambia. He served in the United Nations Navy and was a veteran of the first Gulf War (operation Desert Storm) and the first Gambian to serve as police adviser for the Gambia Police Force.
He served as deputy inspector general of the Gambia Police Force, and director general of the Gambia Immigration Department. He holds a master of science degree in terrorism and homeland security, a bachelor of science in criminal justice, and a graduate certificate in public administration, and a second graduate certificate in justice studies.
