Five private security operatives arrested in Accra for infraction of the law

Five private security operatives were arrested by the police at various locations in Accra last Wednesday for infractions of the law.

They were accosted for wearing unapproved uniforms, using offensive weapons and handcuffs and operating without licence, among other offences.

The suspects included a guard at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and internal security personnel of 3rd Eye and Golden Expression companies.

The companies operating without licence were Megaforce and Dan Adams Security firms.

The arrest followed an operation carried out by the Private Security Operations (PSO) Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Private Security Unit of the Ministry for the Interior.

The exercise was intended to clamp down on the illegal use of camouflage police uniforms. The operation was also targeted at companies that were not part of the 221 registered security companies in the country.

Significance

The Director in charge of Private Security Operations of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Paul Awini, explained that it was required by law for a company to present uniforms designed for its internal security officers to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for approval before they were used.

“And three or more internal security officers of a company should be registered as an agency,” he added.

DCOP Awini added that companies that were not in good standing, in terms of renewal of licence or without licence, were violating the law and would be prosecuted.  

Brief

Briefing journalists after the exercise, DCOP Awini further explained that the operation was to ensure private securities operated within the confines of the law.

“The conduct of those security officers was a breach of LI 1571,” he said.

The officer added that as part of measures to clamp down on unlicensed security companies and unauthorised weapons, an earlier operation carried out last Tuesday led to the arrest of an official of China Mall, who imported and sold Tasers to the public.

“Tasers are electrical weapons that discharge electric current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. The weapon can kill a person, if not used properly. We cannot allow the sale of these dangerous weapons on the market. Therefore we have impounded 176 of them from the China Mall,” he stated.

For his part, a desk officer of the private security unit of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr Shadrack Mensah, advised the public to avoid engaging the services of unregistered security companies since it was a violation of the law.