A handover ceremony was held at the police station of the first district of Thiès, in the presence of the sub-prefect of Thiès-Sud. Commissioner Moussa Fall, after three years and six months at the head of this unit, passed the torch to Commissioner Balla Ba, formerly deputy head of Urban Security at the central police station in Dakar.

Presiding over the ceremony, the head of the central police station praised an exemplary colleague.

Chief Commissioner Safiétou Mbaye, head of the central police station in Thiès, opened the ceremony by paying a heartfelt tribute to the outgoing commissioner. She first recounted Moussa Fall's career within the department, noting that he had initially served as deputy to the central commissioner of Thiès before taking command of the first district police station.

"This ceremony may mark the end of service for a colleague who has served the Thiès department for many years," she said, praising him for "all his qualities of professionalism, application, and resilience," and noting that he "never stayed on the job" and was "available to both his superiors and his staff."

Speaking about her new posting to Parcelles-Assainies, the chief commissioner was keen to emphasize that this choice was not insignificant. "It's a sign of confidence, because managing a district police station like that of Unit 15 in Parcelles-Assainies, with all the security issues and challenges that entails, is no small matter," she stated, before sending the outgoing commissioner "a message of solidarity and encouragement."

Turning then to the incoming commissioner, she expressed her confidence in the profile of Commissioner Balla Ba, whom she described as "a young man full of qualities", having cut his teeth at the public security directorate, then spent more than two years at the urban security of the central police station of Dakar.

"Anyone familiar with the Urban Security service knows very well that it is a service where good police officers are trained, with adaptive capabilities, which means that in terms of investigation and security management, the individual already has the predispositions to carry out their mission successfully," she emphasized.

She concluded by addressing all staff, urging them to cultivate "ethics and professional conduct" and to "collaborate with the public professionally," while maintaining "a dignified posture" in the face of the omnipresence of social networks and the media.

Commissioner Fall, visibly moved, salutes a loyal team and passes the torch.

Visibly moved, Commissioner Moussa Fall took the floor to thank all of his colleagues. "It is with great emotion that I speak. Today marks a milestone in my career," he confided, recalling that he had taken up his post on Wednesday, August 12, 2022, marking three years and six months in command.

He was keen to pay a heartfelt tribute to the central commissioner: "I have nothing without the central commissioner. Everything we do is thanks to her. Under your command, we have learned a great deal. You are a truly modest, humanist, professional, and very committed leader. I greatly admired your leadership style because you know how to manage people."

Addressing his colleagues, he paid tribute to "a solid, united, and highly committed team," praising their loyalty and integrity. "It's not easy to have loyal staff. But in the first arrondissement, we have committed, loyal staff," he declared, leaving it to the public to assess the results achieved.

He also made a point of mentioning the neighborhood delegates and elders present, personally mentioning Imam Kane, whom he described as a role model.

Before handing over the reins, he addressed a warm message to his successor: “Commissioner Balla Ba is like a brother to me, he’s younger than me, he’s a good man. He was well-trained, he truly went through all the stages of his training. I think he’ll do better than Commissioner Fall. I call on the entire population to support Commissioner Ba. If you support him, he’ll do better than me.”

Commissioner Balla Ba in charge

During the ceremony, held in the presence of the sub-prefect of Thiès-Sud, Commissioner Balla Ba officially took command of the police station in the first district of Thiès. His predecessor, Commissioner Moussa Fall, is moving to Dakar, where he will now head the district police station for Unit 15 of Parcelles-Assainies.