Cop-on-cop snitching could be counterproductive - Irbard

Although the move to promote police officers who foiled a recent robbery of a bullion van by colleague cops is to motivate other officers in the police service to help weed out bad nuts within the law enforcement body, the fear of such police personnel being intimidated or transferred for exposing fellow officers may defeat the police chief’s purpose for setting up such the scheme, security analyst Irbard Ibrahim has said.

On 15 August this year, two police officers and a civilian were arrested in connection with an attempted robbery of a GCB Bank bullion van at Maame Krobo in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region.

The driver of the van was killed in the incident while a police officer accompanying the van also sustained gun wounds.

Announcing the promotion at his induction ceremony, Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor condemned the two police officers who were involved in the robbery saying such acts would not be tolerated in the law enforcement body.

He added that measures had been put in place to ensure a peaceful election come December 7.

“It is gratifying to note that the patrol team that effected the arrest of their colleagues have been promoted effective yesterday to their next ranks. In addition to maintaining general law and order in the country, one cannot lose sight of the fact that we have to also ensure that the December 2016 election will be delivered peacefully and successfully. On that score, I can assure the people of Ghana that we are committed to attaining that feat. With the support of all Ghanaians, we shall overcome,” the IGP stated.

But speaking in an interview with Accra News on Monday August 29, Mr Irbard said: “The culture of intimidation is likely to thwart the motives of the promotion. People may have reasons to report some official who are engaged in questionable acts in the service but they also fear that they may be transferred if they voice out those concerns. If you are not careful, they will transfer you to an area where only donkeys can take you to your destination and that may force them to leave the service.”