He also hastened to send another message to the people of Sierra Leone. Hear him again: “I urge the people to support and respect the police, who are doing a difficult task to keep you safe.”

The interview came at a time when the Sierra Leone Police is alleged to have become “an instrument of political oppression and brutality, taking orders from above and always dance to the tune of the Government of the day.”

Keith Biddle made the name, Sierra Leone Police force fashionable by simply ascribing to it the buzz-phrase, ‘a force for good’ and it helped to rebuild moral. During the civil conflict, the country’s security apparatus lost all credibility from the citizens they took an oath to protect and defend. One cannot talk about reforms in the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) without mentioning the name of Keith Biddle – he was seconded to Sierra Leone and he helped with the restructuring of that force before he left in 2003.

The now-retired officer is enjoying his retirement in Cheshire, about 25 miles south of Manchester. And from time to time, he takes part in discussions on policing issues and delivers presentations at universities and other venues.