France Trains Ghana Police

ONE HUNDRED police officers from the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) have gone through a month of rigorous training in public order management and crowd control under the sponsorship of the French government.

A section of the beneficiaries mounted a simulation exercise for guests during the closing ceremony to showcase their preparedness to control unlawful gatherings and maintain public order especially during the presidential and parliamentary elections in December.

The Director-General ICT, Research and Planning, DCOP David Appeatu Asante, maintained that the police administration has no doubt about the participants’ ability to cause a paradigm shift in crowd control and public order management in line with the administration’s vision to deliver planned, democratic, protective and peaceful services of international standards to the society.

He hoped the training had sharpened the skills of the personnel and enhanced their capacity both physically and mentally for the task ahead of them.

The police chief explained that aside the core duty of the police to prevent crime and disorder, they are also to build public confidence by training and equipping specialized units like the RDF to ensure peace before, during and after the 2012 polls.

The French Ambassador to Ghana, Frederic Clavier reposed his confidence in the RDF personnel stressing, “I admire your ability and professionalism.”

Mr. Clavier noted that the duty of the police was to defend the country’s democracy and to make its future better.

“Your credibility to manage complicated situations is not in doubt; you are the best of the police service to control and prevent disorder,” Clavier asserted.