Sustain public trust in Police service – IGP charges
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Alhassan, has called on police personnel to work hard to sustain public confidence and trust in the service.
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According to him, public confidence and trust in the service had escalated within the last three years so they should sustain that trust through professional and non-partisan behaviour.
Mr Alhassan was addressing police personnel at separate durbars in Wa and Bolgatanga in the Upper West and Upper East regions. The IGP was accompanied by the Director-General in charge of Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr John Kudalor, and the Director-General in charge of Services, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr James Oppong-Boanuh.
In Wa, the IGP impressed on the personnel not to do anything to create the perception that the service was partisan. He also advised them not to be complacent but rather continue to train and position themselves for assignments at all times.
He said it was mandatory for the police to ensure that the rights of citizens were not trampled upon through the use of excessive force.
In another development, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Abu Kasangbata, during a courtesy call on him, appealed to Mr Alhassan to see to it that both residential and office accommodation for the service were improved upon. He said the current regional office of the service did not befit the status of Wa.
In Bolga, Mr Alhassan called on police personnel not to downplay the importance of continuous training as that would position them to provide improved security services.
At a parade, Mr Alhassan noticed the absence of some basic accoutrements among those on display, such as handcuffs, tear gas mask, pepper sprays, and other items needed to effectively manage public order situations. He enquired about them, only to be informed that they were in the store room.
The IGP, who was visibly surprised, immediately ordered the release of the items for distribution to personnel.
“Equipment and logistics are meant for the performance of police duties and not for private use or to be kept in stores. I have asked the Regional Command to put in place corrective measures to address some of these lapses, ” the IGP said.
“We need to continuously prepare ourselves. We need to know our equipment and develop the skills to be able to use them effectively so that at the end of each assignment, we would have been able to bring any challenging situation under control without abusing the rights of any individual,” the IGP said.
He admonished the personnel to avoid actions or inactions that might portray them as partisan and warned that any such behaviour would not be tolerated by the police administration.
By George Folley & Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana