Top Cop bemoans sinking image of police

THE DEPUTY Inspector General of Police in charge of operations, Dr K K Manfo, has called on the public to support the police in fighting against criminal elements within the Service by reporting their activities to higher authorities for appropriate sanctions to be taken as way of restoring the sinking image of the Police Service.

According Dr. Manfo, recent reports of some police involvement in drug trafficking and merchandizing of drugs seized on operations has sank the image of the Service. He reminded personnel to always be mindful that such activities only reduce the respect society have for the police.

Speaking at the launch of a series seminars, being undertaking by Digisoft Group, a professional development agency, aimed at building good professionalism and attitudinal change among the personnel at the CID Headquaters in Accra on Friday, Dr. Manfo advised police officers to build good police-public relations as a way of bridging the gap between the public and the service.

"Sometimes you wonder if all personnel had the same training…., You'll meet an officer who'll stop a vehicle and shout at the driver to bring his papers for inspection, you'll also meet another who'll politely request the driver to hand in his or her documents for inspection, meanwhile they were all trained in the same school," he bemoaned.

He expressed worry about the level of indiscipline among some personnel, especially those who abscond duty at the least opportunity as well as those who indulged in extorting monies from the public.

On his part, the Director-General of the Police CID, Mr David Asante-Apeatu, explained that professionalism has to do with high standards that are expected from a person who is well equipped on a particular assignment.

He said as trained police professionals, it is their responsibility to set the standards and that in terms of attitudinal change, personnel are expected to put away certain behaviours that dent the image of the Service. "It is the duty of the police to protect the lives and properties of citizens and not the vice versa, he warned."

He said the police have been given the authority and duties to enforce all legal codes, especially in the area of investigating criminal activities, powers of arresting and detaining citizens who are lawfully accused with legal evidence to enable the citizenry live orderly.

He advised that if high standards and values become the order of the day, the image of the Service that has come under public scrutiny would become a thing of the past.

"We should therefore strive to display leadership traits appropriate to every situation, while projecting self-confidence, authority and enthusiasm in our job performance," Mr. Asante-Appeatu said.

Mr. Kwasi Tarko Jr. of Digisoft Group, said the philosophy of the group is centred on quality, which implies that, they would equip the police personnel with the requisite skills and motivation, requesting that the police on their part prepare good grounds for sowing, nurturing and growing what they receive at the seminars.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has donated 10 motorbikes estimated at $20,000 to the Domestic Violence and Support Unit (DVSU) of the Police Service to be used in enhancing the work of personnel in rural areas.

According to the Child Protection Officer of UNICEF, Mr. Iddris Abdulah, the donation forms part of the organisation's assistance aimed at developing the human resource base of organisations UNICEF works with.

He disclosed that UNICEF would continue to support the police in developing its human resource base to enable the police deliver efficient services and also speed up prosecution processes, especially in the areas of domestic violence.

On her part, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Human Resource Development, Mrs. Georgina Osei-Poku, thanked UNICEF for the assistance and described the presentation as timely, adding that the personnel in the rural areas are going through difficulties in respect to transportation, pledging that the motor bikes would be put to good use.

She called on other organisations and individuals to emulate the good example of UNICEF to enable the Police provide efficient services to the public.