Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has advised officers of the Ghana Police Service to be exemplary law-abiding citizens for others to emulate, as well as be fair, firm and fearless in enforcing the law.
According to him, this is because the public expects police officers to be proactive and accountable to them even as the government encourages Ghanaians to be responsible citizens.
“As we urge the public to come on board, I wish to charge officers on parade, in particular, and all other police officers to note that the anticipation of the Ghanaian public is for you to be proactive and accountable to them,” he said.
“…As professionals, always remember to treat people the way you wish yourselves, your spouse or your children to be treated. Therefore, in enforcing the law, be fair, firm, and fearless,” Dr. Bawumia added.
The Vice-President gave the advice during the 51st Cadet Officers’ Graduation of the Ghana Police Academy, Tesano-Accra. In all, 308 officers were commissioned into the ranks of Deputy Superintendent of Police and Assistant Superintendents of Police.
He urged the graduands to work collaboratively with the communities to improve safety and security for socio-economic development.
Government support
Dr. Bawumia pledged the government’s commitment to continuously provide the needed infrastructure, resources and motivation necessary to the Service for it to effectively maintain law and order in line with its constitutional mandate.
“It is in the light of this commitment that additional infrastructure such as lecture/syndicate rooms, ultra-modern auditorium, and residential accommodation are being put up at the Academy to contain the increasing number of officers admitted to the Academy,” he said.
He also cited the recent procurement of over 2000 motorbikes for the Police to strengthen its ongoing crime prevention/visibility operational initiatives within the framework of promoting democratic policing in the country despite budgetary constraints.
About 200 pick-up vehicles have also been procured for the Police to be used by Regional Formed Police Units (FPUs) soon to be deployed to about 140 locations across the country, he said.
“As a result of this intervention, communities which hitherto were not easily accessible can have their share of police presence due to the better maneuverability capabilities of these motorbikes. As His Excellency the President promised during the handing over of the motorbikes, some 3000 more will be added to bring the number to 5000 to ensure that no community is left out,” he said.
“These deployments are going to lead to a significant boost in the quality of policing on all highways across the country to enable everyone to go about their daily activities in safety,” Dr. Bawumia assured.
Public support
To the public, Dr. Bawumia urged them to collaborate with the Police and other security agencies to ensure national security, emphasising that building safer communities is a collective responsibility.
“I would like to entreat every well-meaning Ghanaian to come on board so that together, we can sustain the gains made in ensuring a safe, peaceful, and secure Ghana. Let us partner with the police in our various communities to police us better. Passing on relevant information on crime and criminal activities to the police is a gesture that can save lives,” he noted.
The training
The 308 officers were taken through the revamped training model, based on a significant practical outlook with limited theoretical content, making it the first of its kind in the history of the Police Service.
According to officials of the Ghana Police Academy, the programme now has a blend of theory and practical training modules including a four-week High-Risk Training and six weeks of Practical Field Attachment with the view to producing more confident and practically oriented Officers to strengthen leadership at the District and Unit levels across the country.
