Alhaji Idris calls for proper police training

Salaga (N/R), June 10, GNA- Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, has called for the recruitment of more police officers with proper training to enable them to handle the current pressures of riot control and other crimes in the society. "It is unfortunate and ironical that the police had come under a barrage of criticisms in recent times, due to the unprofessional way they operate", he said, adding that, if they were given enough training and the requisite logistics they could perform just like their counterparts in the advanced countries.

Alhaji Idris was addressing personnel of the service in Salaga on Monday, when he inaugurated a new police office complex, constructed by the East Gonja District Assembly at the cost of GH¢178,000.00. The Regional Minister said research conducted in September 2005 on the Ghana Police Service indicated that a vacancy situation of 11,183 officers or 38.6 percent of the establishment. He said the total staff strength of the service as at December 2006 was 17,944 and the ratio of the police to the Ghanaian population was 1:1,178, adding that, currently the police/civilian ratio was about 1:1078 as against the UN approved ratio of 1:500. He said the statistics shows that the police service was overstretched in meeting normal operational demands, adding that, incidence of demonstrations and related riots, ethnic conflicts and others stretch the service to the limit of "having to use all hands available."

He said this partly explains why the police are unable to discharge fully, their constitutional obligations. Alhaji Idris said there was also a significant knowledge gap in the training curricula of the Ghana police Service training schools as compared with the basic training given to recruits in other countries such as Britain and the USA. "For many officers the basic recruit training constitutes their only training for the first ten or more years in the service and that could have negative implications on their performance and professional career development, as they become rusty and half-baked law enforcement agents", the Regional Minister said.

Alhaji Idris said the government, since 2005, had endeavoured to increase the number of police personnel with the recruitment of 1000 personnel every year and this had resulted in at least 30,000 policemen been recruited.

He said while the yearly recruitment would increase, there was still the need to tackle the problem of accommodation and inadequate training within the junior ranks.

Mr Amadu Musah Abudu, East Gonja District Chief Executive, (DCE) appealed to the Ministry of the Interior to complement the efforts of the assembly by constructing a barracks to accommodate the personnel and their families. He also appealed to the sector Ministry to provide the requisite personnel, logistics and equipment to enable the divisional headquarters to function well. Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, the Northern Regional Police Commander said the task of maintaining peace in the region was a difficult one that needed the cooperation of all. He said the provision of the police station was to enhance law and order in the district and appealed to the people to protect it. He pledged that the police would ensure peace before, during and after the elections. Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing entreated the people to be law abiding and also assist the police with relevant information to enable them to enforce discipline in the society.