Police will work knowing their families are covered – Adib Saani on qualified relatives replacing cops

Security Analyst, Adib Saani, has said that the directive announced by the police that it will be replacing fallen officers with qualified relatives is prudent.

According to him, the move will ensure that personnel of the Ghana Police Service give their best while in the line of duty because they know that even if they die on duty, their families will be taken care of.

In an exclusive interview, the security expert explained to GhanaWeb that even in the United States, the families of police and military personnel who passed away in the line of duty are referred to as Gold Star Families and are accorded special consideration.

“Usually, it is only proper that such families (the family who lose relations in the line of duty) are given priority because they have lost a very important person they relied on. When the person dies, things become very difficult, particularly for the spouse and the children, so there is a need for that social cover.

“However, there is a caveat; it has to still be on merit. And I am excited that he (the IGP) added the word qualified. When you go to countries such as the US, for example, military families who have lost their loved ones are termed as Gold Star Families, and they are given preferential treatment wherever they find themselves because they have relatives who have submitted to the state and died for the state.

“The same can be said for officers of the Ghana Police Service. And (this measure) will send the right signal to the police officers that whatever they do for the good of the country is for their own good as well. And they will be assured that there is enough social cover for their family in case anything happens. So, they are able to work with all their hearts, and they will be happy to do so every day,” he said.

At a public lecture held on Thursday at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Inspector-General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare revealed that qualified relatives would take the position of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Dr. Dampare said that the move is part of initiatives being taken by the leadership of the police to encourage officers to give their best.

“When a police officer dies on duty, we have put new measures in place to ensure that a relative of the deceased officer who is qualified is recruited into the service as part of efforts to urge our officers to do their best in protecting the public,” he said.

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