Fear of rising crime has been on the minds of many Liberians. But the truth is crime in the country is dropping. That’s particularly true in Bong County which has seen one of the largest drops in community crime anywhere in the country.
Police records show that in the seven years to 2023, reported crimes fell sharply across the country—but in Bong crime rates have been almost halved.
Many residents say the rise of volunteer community watch teams has made their neighborhoods safer. But some experts and local leaders question just how much these groups can do, and whether the progress can last.
In this collaboration with New Narratives, Nukanah Kollie has this report from the county capital, Gbarnga.

This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the “Investigating Liberia” project.
Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. The funder had no say in the story’s
content.