Don't violate laws you’ve been licensed to protect - COP Kofi Boakye to recruits

The Director-General in charge of Legal and Prosecution of the Ghana Police Service, COP Nathan Kofi Boakye has admonished newly recruited police persons to endeavour to obey the laws they have been employed to enforce, stressing that how they comport themselves will either bring honour or dishonour to them and the Ghana Police Service as a whole.

COP Nathan Kofi Boakye gave the piece of advice at the passing-out parade for some 352 recruits in Accra last Wednesday. The police officers are the first batch of recruits from the Ghana Police Training School.

“Today, you are being granted the enviable state authority to enforce the laws. But remember you are also a member of the public, hence you are obligated to comply with the very laws you are to enforce.

You must conduct yourselves well to inspire confidence and respect for you as a person and for the Service in general,” he counselled.

COP Kofi Boakye further enjoined them to remain professional even when they are off duty, adding that they must remember that they have it in mind at all times that they were civilians with state authority symbolized by their uniforms.

He minced no words while reminding them that they will be rejected by the Service when they fail to conduct themselves professionally within the rules and regulations of the service.

“Within these months of training, I have no doubt that you have been thought, coached and mentored with all that can make you efficient police officers and you cannot afford to deviate from it.

The police systems work like the money counting machine, it accepts grooms and maintains you if you are genuine and rejects and casts you off if you are a counterfeit. It would expose you if you allow personal feelings, animosity or friendship and political affiliation to affect your official conduct,” he stated.

The Police Academy for the first time in history successfully trained and graduated recruits from three cadet officers’ courses within two and a half years.

Many in-service training courses have also been organised for personnel in the Service.

In all, 1,183 recruits would pass out: 352 from Accra; 372 from Pwalugu; 158 from Ho; 188 from Kumasi and 113 from Koforidua.