A/HRC/12/42 page 11 to improve professionalism among LNP officers through training and mentoring continue. The LNP has also made a proposal for a small salary increase to be considered during the coming budget process. 16. Despite the advances made, serious limitations in logistics and infrastructure, and insufficient funding to cover operational and recurrent costs, remain major constraints. Although the number of LNP officers deployed outside Monrovia has increased and several police stations have been rehabilitated, police presence beyond county capitals remains limited. In some outlying locations, the total absence of law enforcement structures is further compounded by the non-existence of functional judicial structures. In these locations, there is no rule of law, which poses a threat to peace and security. Such situations are common in certain mining areas of Rivercess County where ex-combatants continue to engage in illegal gold mining activities with impunity. Police officers receive low salaries, which makes them vulnerable to corrupt practices. 17. Complaints concerning serious misconduct by LNP officers, particularly of police brutality, continue to be made. During the period under review, 25 allegations of serious police misconduct19 were reported to the UNMIL Human Rights and Protection Section (HRPS), of which about half (12 cases) were of police brutality. All these cases were brought to the attention of the LNP Professional Standards Division for investigation. With the exception of three cases where serious follow-up has been undertaken,20 in the other cases, investigations were delayed or appear not to have been pursued at all for a variety of reasons which included lack of logistical support to facilitate the travel of investigation teams to the areas from which reports originated. According to chapter 6 of the LNP duty manual, the LNP Professional Standards Division is required to investigate all complaints alleging police misconduct and incidents of a criminal nature and to provide the Inspector-General of Police and the Minister of Justice with weekly summary reports of caseload and case status. Public confidence in the law enforcement system has been undermined due to a lack of accountability for misconduct, contributing to a culture of impunity. 18. The problems faced by the criminal justice system also hinder the effective operation of the juvenile justice system. The most evident limitation is that, with the exception of Montserrado County, no juvenile courts have been established in the other 14 counties as required by section 10 (1) of the Judiciary Law. Under a provisional arrangement, the Juvenile Court Procedural Code (JCPC) has conferred jurisdiction over juvenile cases to magistrates’ courts.21 However, many magistrates lack the training and expertise to apply the JCPC. Juveniles under 16 years of age continue to be placed in detention without court orders contrary to 19 Other allegations included rape, theft, extortion and abuse of power. 20 Namely: a rape case involving a police officer from Gbarpolu county - the accused was convicted and sentenced to one year in prison; a theft case involving two police officers from Grand Gedeh county - investigations were concluded, recommendations made to Police Headquarters and the two suspended; a theft case involving two police officers from Grand Cape Mount county - an arrest warrant was issued and the county attorney has drawn up an indictment. 21 See section 10 (1) and (2) of the Juvenile Court Procedural Code.