Sierra Leone police ban street jogging, call it disruptive to the community

Police in Sierra Leone have banned group jogging in the street on the grounds that it encourages disruptive behaviour, according to a report by the Guardian.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 31 July 2017, 09:23 AM
Updated : 31 July 2017, 09:23 AM

The letter, dated Jul 27, said an immediate ban on such activities was being enforced “in line with the constitutional consideration for public order and safety”.

“Police headquarters has observed with dismay that people are in the habit of jogging in large numbers along the streets with a hint of menace, raining insults, obstructing traffic, pounding on vehicles, playing loud music, and snatching property from other members of the public,” police in the west African nation said.

The announcement upset some in the capital of Freetown. Mohamed Kamara, a civil servant, disputed that there had not been any major incidents caused by joggers. Jogging and playing football in large numbers has helped transform many violent youths within his community, Kamara said.

TV celebrity Amadu Lamarana Bah said the restriction was a waste of police time and affected young people who wanted to exercise in a country where cities have few recreational areas. “I believe there are more serious security issues you must be paying attention to,” he said on Facebook.

“Armed robbery and gang violence in communities should be your concern, not those harmless youths who exercise on weekends.”

A local non-government organisation, the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), urged police to ensure the ban upheld national and international law and freedom of assembly, the Guardian reported.

The police letter said “individuals desiring to jog for health reasons” were “at liberty to do so, but at recreational facilities or at the beach”.

But, it added, “any group of persons now found jogging in the streets without authorisation will be dealt with according to law. You have been warned.”