Changing the training regime of the police
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Just last week the country witnessed one of the largest deployment of security personnel in recent times to avert the possible eruption of violence after the declaration of the Supreme Court judgement on the election petition.
The incident-free exercise attests to the efficiency of our security agencies in policing the system to maintain peace and stability in the country.
No doubt our policemen and soldiers have won world acclaim for the professional manner in which they conduct themselves during peacekeeping missions abroad.
During peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, one of the illustrious sons of our land, Lt Gen Emmanuel Erskine, was appointed the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to spearhead the peace mission in the area.
Other officers have followed in Gen Erskine’s footsteps at the command level, while the rank and file of the security apparatus have helped to stabilise the situation in one-time war-torn countries.
The successes chalked up by our soldiers and policemen abroad have reflected in the professional way in which they handle security issues in various communities in the country.
However, the good performance of the police and other security agencies does not mean that there are no security challenges in our society. There are flashpoints in all the regions of the country, except that the security agencies have managed to put a lid on the disturbances.
For quite some time now the security agencies have been battling with violent crime, especially armed robbery, across the country.
As the economy grows and consumption levels pick up, there is bound to be a rise in criminal gangs who would want to take advantage of the system for undeserved gain.
We recall the menace of armed robbery a few years ago when criminal gangs, in rambo-style attacks, tried to have a foothold on the country by creating fear and panic among the citizenry.
Those were the dreaded days when filling stations did not operate beyond 9 p.m. for fear that armed robbers would deny them of the day’s sales.
The idea of community watch committees was revived, with residents of various suburbs of Accra and urban centres being encouraged to take their security into their own hands.
This programme suffered a setback when some watch committee members clashed with the security agencies whose work the committees were supposed to complement.
But now that it has become obvious that the criminal gangs will not stop their nefarious activities, we call on the Police Administration to revive the community watch committees to complement the efforts of the police to combat crime.
The fact that the Police Administration has established the Community Policing Unit shows the importance it attaches to seeking the support of the public in fighting crime in society.
We are told that successful crime combat requires the support of members of the public and for this reason we appeal to members of the public to help smoke out criminal gangs from their hideouts.
Just yesterday, two policemen were killed at Pomadze, near Winneba Junction, in what has turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
A police patrol team had mistaken two policemen in a private car for escaping armed robbers and inadvertently shot at them.
This is very unfortunate, indeed, and a setback to efforts by the police to fight crime.
The incident demands that the Police Administration redefines its fight against criminal gangs, so that innocent people are not mistaken for criminals, as has happened to the two policemen at Pomadze.
The Daily Graphic calls on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to expedite the investigation processes and bring the culprits to book.
We cannot agree more with the IGP when he called for a change in the training regime for the police, but the earlier this is done, the better, because what happened at Pomadze will bring to question the efficiency of the police patrol teams.
On a number of occasions the police have come to the aid of people in distress and that is why it is worrying that the patrol team dispatched to Winneba performed below expectation, resulting in the loss of innocent lives.
That is why it is necessary for the police to redefine the processes to deal with armed robbers to forestall a recurrence of the Pomadze tragedy.
Be that as it may, the Daily Graphic calls on the security agencies to step up their joint patrols now that the government has provided them with more logistics to smoke out all criminal gangs from their hideouts.
We extend our condolences to the bereaved families and wish to the injured speedy recovery.
Daily Graphic/Ghana