No matter how dedicated a worker is, if he/she hasn’t got the proper tools they cannot do their work effectively. And the Ghana Police Service is starving of gadgets to effectively perform their duties. Apart from the regional police stations, Ghanaian police stations do not have any vehicles. In August this year, I checked some police stations around the country and none had vehicles. Every Ghanaian knows that if one reports incidents of robbery, battery, etc to the police they (victims) are asked to provide their own vehicles for the police to act upon their complaints. Last August, a very sad incident made me wonder about the kind of country Ghana is. In a mid-size town, a young man of about twenty-two years committed suicide by hanging. His family reported the incident to the police, and the first thing the police asked them to do was to get a photographer so that pictures could be taken before the body was brought down from the tree. Yes, Ghana cannot supply even cameras to the police to do proper forensic work at crime scenes, such as taking pictures. The woes and agony of the family did not end with the request for a camera; the police also demanded that the family rents a vehicle to convey the corpse to the nearest morgue in the regional capital, which is about five miles away.
The Police still write down “charges” and field notes in “long hand” because they don’t have access to computers! Would such documents be available about ten years from now?
The Saturday August 5, 2006 issue of “The Ghanaian Times” (page 4) featured a picture of Mr. Albert Ken Dapaah, Minister of Interior, thanking Mr. Jeffrey Graham, political officer of the US Embassy, for donating 200 handcuffs to the Ghana Police Service in Accra. Looking on were the Inspector-General of Police, Patrick Acheampong, and Dr. K. K. Manfo, Deputy Inspector-General of Police. Have we stooped so low that the US Embassy should provide the Police Service with handcuffs? Think about it, a whole Minister of Interior, and a whole Inspector-General of Police and his deputy had time to meet Mr. Graham for 200 handcuffs! If Ghana is not providing cameras, hand-cuffs, and vehicles to the police then the country is surely not providing any sophisticated equipment to the police.
Recently, I went to the Police living “quarters” at the Teshie Regional Police Station and I was saddened by the small-sized rooms that are provided to police officers. The room I went in is a single room, partitioned with curtains to provide some privacy for the sleeping area. At the other end of the room, was the police officer’s kerosene stove for cooking. Just visit any town where there is a police station, and the most neglected building in the town would be police living quarters.
In July or August this year, disturbed by what he saw, the Inspector General of Police assured police officers that their worn out uniforms would soon be replaced with new ones. As far as I know, the new ones have not arrived. It is sad to see police officers in hand-stitched/patched uniforms.
On November 10, 2006, the Police Council pledged to enhance the welfare of police officers. Among others issues, Mr. Justice Sam Baddoo, the Chairman of the Police Council, said the council will ensure that the salaries and conditions of service for the police were commensurate with their dedicated services to the nation. At the moment a police constable earns a paltry nine (9) million cedis a year. No specific date was set for the increase of salaries, and we all know what that means – till thy Kingdom come!
Neglecting the needs of the Police is a complete neglect of the most important people of Ghana – Ghanaians. This is because the police are supposed to protect Ghanaians, and they need the proper equipment to do so.
Any government that does not ensure that every Police Station has a vehicle, that the Police are well-equipped, etc. is not only committing a crime against the police but is also short-changing Ghanaians. Would our next government provide every Police Station with a vehicle before allocating vehicles to Ministers? We know that every Minister has access to at least three official vehicles!
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Lorain County Community College, USA
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