Editor,

RE: "Rwanda being the safest country is not an accident” (The New Times, June 14).

I used to hate being a cop because police in my country of birth are rough, cruel and unjust. They forge charges against people they ought to protect, they beat people to total permanent incapacity, and they kill an innocent man and then claim they killed a thief while exchanging fire. They plant marijuana into your pocket and charge you with drug abuse.

I used to swear that no child of mine will become a cop. However, Police in Rwanda have changed my mind; at least once my son Shema grows up, I may recommend him to join Rwanda National Police or Rwanda Defence Forces.

The reason is simple: the young men and women in uniform are smart in their fatigues and look committed to their job instead of staring at people searching for pretexts to frame and arrest them.

Rwanda’s security forces are assaulting nobody; you can shout at and insult them and they will remain calm and professional.

At the national borders, they welcome you to Rwanda with open arms. It’s the first impression you get upon setting foot in the country.

To uphold such a level of discipline, however, requires leaders at the top to be consistent with emphasis on values.

Yulian