The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nana Owusu-Nsiah, is taking his war against indiscipline to a higher level: he is now targeting criminal activities associated with the chieftaincy institution. Looking calm but combative, the IGP declared; “we shall deal drastically, ruthlessly and decisively with indisciplined chiefs and their land guard cohorts who are formenting trouble in the country."
The IGP dropped the hint of his "war plans" at a quarterly press briefing at the Police Headquarters yesterday.
Acknowledging his own status as a traditional ruler, Nana Owusu-Nsiah stated: "I am a chief and I see the chieftaincy institution being tainted by some unscrupulous chiefs. We need to deal with such traditional leaders, and that is exactly what I am going to do".
On the general crime situation in the country during the first quarter of this year, the IGP disclosed that 2003 has so far registered a decline of 18.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
The Police boss said about 102 suspected armed robbers had been arrested since 2001 when the police adopted stringent measures to stem the seeming astronomical rise in armed robbery in the country. He said 30 dockets had been prepared on those suspects and forwarded to the Attorney General's Department for the necessary directives.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said, as part of the efforts of raising the image of the service, the Police Administration has begun a series of training programmes for personnel of all ranks.
Notable among these, he said, are a UNDP Thematic Trust Fund Project which involves organisation of courses for selected personnel on democratic policing, leadership and managerial as well as capacity building courses for all Station Officers in the country.
Also, there have been specialized courses organized for over 300 detectives as well as seminars on human rights this year, he added. "All these are geared towards improving upon the professional competence of Police personnel", the IGP noted.
The Greater Accra Regional Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye, who was one of the many lieutenants who supported the IGP yesterday, renewed his appeal to the general public to help in apprehending the die-hard armed robbers still on the run.
Yesterday's briefing was in fulfillment of the IGP's promise to the media on his assumption of office to hold quarterly briefing sessions with the media on national and police issues.
At his maiden meeting with the press, he outlined his vision for the Police Service, which included a clamp down on armed robbery and indiscipline on the country's roads.
He also pledged to turn around the image of the Police through the development of the human resource base of the service.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nana Owusu-Nsiah, is taking his war against indiscipline to a higher level: he is now targeting criminal activities associated with the chieftaincy institution. Looking calm but combative, the IGP declared; “we shall deal drastically, ruthlessly and decisively with indisciplined chiefs and their land guard cohorts who are formenting trouble in the country."
The IGP dropped the hint of his "war plans" at a quarterly press briefing at the Police Headquarters yesterday.
Acknowledging his own status as a traditional ruler, Nana Owusu-Nsiah stated: "I am a chief and I see the chieftaincy institution being tainted by some unscrupulous chiefs. We need to deal with such traditional leaders, and that is exactly what I am going to do".
On the general crime situation in the country during the first quarter of this year, the IGP disclosed that 2003 has so far registered a decline of 18.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
The Police boss said about 102 suspected armed robbers had been arrested since 2001 when the police adopted stringent measures to stem the seeming astronomical rise in armed robbery in the country. He said 30 dockets had been prepared on those suspects and forwarded to the Attorney General's Department for the necessary directives.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said, as part of the efforts of raising the image of the service, the Police Administration has begun a series of training programmes for personnel of all ranks.
Notable among these, he said, are a UNDP Thematic Trust Fund Project which involves organisation of courses for selected personnel on democratic policing, leadership and managerial as well as capacity building courses for all Station Officers in the country.
Also, there have been specialized courses organized for over 300 detectives as well as seminars on human rights this year, he added. "All these are geared towards improving upon the professional competence of Police personnel", the IGP noted.
The Greater Accra Regional Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye, who was one of the many lieutenants who supported the IGP yesterday, renewed his appeal to the general public to help in apprehending the die-hard armed robbers still on the run.
Yesterday's briefing was in fulfillment of the IGP's promise to the media on his assumption of office to hold quarterly briefing sessions with the media on national and police issues.
At his maiden meeting with the press, he outlined his vision for the Police Service, which included a clamp down on armed robbery and indiscipline on the country's roads.
He also pledged to turn around the image of the Police through the development of the human resource base of the service.
