Police Service dismisses 108 officers
One hundred and eight police officers were dismissed from the Ghana Police Service between 2010 and June, this year, as a result of their involvement in various criminal activities.
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An additional 132 personnel of the service were demoted, while 239 were sanctioned, during the period.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said 433 officers were currently facing service enquiry for misconduct and served notice that the Police Administration would weed out the bad lots in the service as part of its reorganisation exercise.
Discipline in the Police Administration
Mr Alhassan was responding to a question on corruption in the Ghana Police Service when the top brass of the Police Administration held an encounter with the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) in Accra yesterday.
The interaction was meant for the Police Administration to court the support of the Christian leadership as part of efforts at maintaining the peace after the Supreme Court verdict on the election petition.
The visit to the CCG was also to update the clergymen on the measures the Police Administration had put in place to curb crime in the country.
The IGP said the police would not shield their own against the interest of the state and that the Police Administration had put mechanisms in place to “police” its officers.
“We recently deployed secret surveillance cameras on the highways on our men to keep them in check,” he said, adding that while offending officers were severely sanctioned, structures were also in place to instil discipline in the service.
Officers who accompanied the IGP
Officers who accompanied the IGP were the Director-General in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr Prosper Ablorh; the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohuno; the Director of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Angwubutoge Awuni, and the Director-General in charge of Administration, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ms Rose Atinga Bio.
Paradigm shift in the Police Administration
The IGP said there had been a paradigm shift in the manner the police approached issues and explained that proactive approaches had now been adopted to prevent crimes from happening.
On that score, he said, the Police Administration had embarked on educational and other sensitisation activities to involve the citizenry in its work in its efforts at ridding the country of criminal activities.
The Chairman of the CCG, Rt Rev Francis Amenu, pledged the support of the leadership of the council to the Police Administration and urged the rest of society to accept the Supreme Court verdict in the interest of the country.
IGP visits National Chief Imam
Earlier, Mr Alhassan had called on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, at his residence, where the IGP urged the Muslim community to partner the Police Administration to effectively discharge its mandate.
More police stations to be built
Mr Alhassan said the Police Administration had targeted to construct an additional 200 police stations across the country, noting that in spite of the constraints, the administration would endeavour to complete a number of projects for the police.
There are about 800 police stations and 700 police district headquarters at different locations in the country.
He underscored the resolve of the police to vigorously pursue their constitutional mandate for the public to go about their normal activities without fear or intimidation.
Market fires
The IGP stated that the Police Administration was collaborating with other security agencies to monitor major markets in the country to help eliminate the incidence of fire outbreaks at those markets.
He said special investigative teams were currently in place to help forestall any eventuality.
Public order
Mr Alhassan made reference to the recent violence in Kumasi, Nkonya and Alavanyo that claimed some lives and said the police had intensified their patrols to prevent a recurrence of violence.
He added that rush-hour patrols had been instituted in the major cities to beef up police presence in the communities, while restructuring was currently going on in the Police Administration, to effectively combat crime.
Supreme Court verdict
For him, as the lead law enforcement agency in Ghana, the Police Administration would continue to advocate peace and tranquillity as the verdict of the Supreme Court on the presidential election approached.
According to him, the police were adequately prepared to contain any unforeseen situation, adding, “Our boots are laced and our vehicles are in good order to contain any public disturbances.”
The IGP donated five boxes of mineral water, a carton of milk, five bags of rice, two gallons of oil, a bag of sugar, 12 packs of tea and 12 tins of Milo in support of the Ramadan.
ACP Awuni appeals to Muslim youth
Mr Awuni called on Muslim youth to register their motorbikes to avoid brushes with the law.
He said during Ramadan, it behoved Muslim youth to avoid reckless riding on the roads and obey road traffic regulations.
Chief Imam responds
The Spokesperson of the Chief Imam, Alhaji Mohammed Gado, thanked the IGP and his entourage for the visit and pledged the support of the Muslim community to the cause of the Police Administration.
He said Sheikh Sharubutu had an established organisation that was committed to conflict resolution and bringing together Christians and Muslims in a bid to promote inter-religious harmony in the country.
By Sebastian Syme & Vincent Musah