Police training programme ends

Essipong (W/R), Dec. 28, GNA- Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, on Friday called on policemen who would be deployed during the Ghana 2008 tournament to act professionally to forestall problems.

She made the call when closing a two-week training programme for 550 personnel of the Police Rapid Deployment Force drawn from the Western and Central Regions at Essipong near Sekondi.

The training forms part of the security preparation for Ghana 2008. Mrs Mills-Robertson urged the Police personnel to be courteous in handling people and work with dedication during the tournament. She said the Police Administration is ready to face the security challenges during the tournament.

Mrs Mills-Robertson said as security is a shared responsibility, the public is expected to assist the Police to provide it.

Mr Patrick Timbillah, Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, said the security services have put in place an efficient security management plan for the tournament.

He said Interpol would send a team to the country to help flush out cross border criminals during the tournament.

Mr Timbillah said Police training experts from Britain and France are assisting to prepare the Ghana Police Service for the tournament.

Mr Robert Mark Azu, Acting Western Regional Police Commander, said the Ghana Armed Forces, Fire Service, Prison Service, Immigration Service and the Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have braced themselves to collaborate with the Police to ensure that the tournament is incident-free.

He said the security agencies are aware of the security threats that the influx of foreign and local supporters to the metropolis and the country as a whole would pose and are ready to tackle the problems.