The Accra Mail says after the stampede at the Accra Sports Stadium on May 9, which resulted in 126 deaths, many people blamed the police for being the cause. The police administration, shocked at the public outcry, has been jolted to re-examine itself and its methods.
The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, who is yet to come to terms with the sad events of the bloody Wednesday, last Friday summoned his Regional Commanders to a conference in Accra and announced new orders that will keep senior officers in check who would in turn, be expected to exercise the necessary supervisory control over their subordinates.
The new measures announced by the IGP include briefing parades and the personal involvement of Regional Commanders in security arrangements for the various football league matches in the country. The Regional Commanders would under no circumstance leave security arrangements at football matches in the hands of civilians.
Crowd control methods and strategies will also be revamped as well as civil order management methods for the police to be able to effectively handle and deal with tensions and passions that have the potential to explode into violence and lawlessness.
