Re-training course for police personnel underway in Winneba

Winneba (C/R), Oct. 13, GNA - The training syllabi for the Police Service are being reviewed with the aim of demilitarizing the personnel to internalize the philosophy of democratic policing, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Quaye, said on Monday. The IGP made this known in an address read for him by the Central Regional Police Commander, DCOP Akyire Kampara, at the opening of a two-week re-training course for 150 police personnel selected from all over the country at the Police Training School in Winneba. He said it is an accepted fact that knowledge decays if it is not sustained through revision and re-training, hence the need for such courses to enhance their professionalism.

"The police administration finds it imperative to make training and re-training one of its utmost priorities in order to enhance professionalism that would be the hallmark of every aspect of their operational performances.

"The exigencies of our constitutional democratic era require that we enforce law and order in accordance with the appropriate principles of democratic policing", he said, adding that the administration deems it necessary to constantly school the men and officers to bring them abreast with the techniques of modern policing. The IGP said the world is also now a global village and as such no country can operate in isolation. "It is therefore logically persuasive that we conform to international standards especially in Policing and combating of crime".

He said the Ghana Police Service is the leading state law enforcement agency mandated to fight crime including bribery and corruption, although paradoxically, it was widely reported that Police personnel ranked highest on the nation's corruption index. "We therefore have an uphill task of redeeming our image by not allowing ourselves to be contaminated by these societal evils. It is the avowed duty of the Police Administration to purge the Service of the bad nuts who tarnish out image".

The IGP therefore warned that any one enlisted into the Service with intent to get rich overnight was mistaken because the Police Service had no place for bribe seeking policemen.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Samuel Asiedu Okanta, Officer Commanding of the Training School, said as part of their development agenda the School has equipped its library with modern ICT and other legal and policing materials.