Why the death of one police officer should be seen as a sign of looming National security threat

Death is inevitable, hence when it occurrs we are often admonish not to welcome it with extreme shock. However, there are avoidable deaths. Among such deaths, there are some which pose threats to the security of the nation. The malicious killing of law enforcement officers by armed robbers is a cause for security concern.

On 14th July, 2017 I posited on facebook that "a police officer does not shoot to kill, as a first option, but to maim. It is worrying to observe how armed robbers are rather shooting to kill law enforcement officers, upon sighting them during robbery expeditions. The worst part is that, we do not hear from the celebrated human right activists, speaking with the same vociferous voice they used to condemn police officers, who were compelled by threats of immediate death on their lives to gun down armed robbers, on rare occasions, in a terrifying robbery scenes." This follows a series of killing of police officers by suspected armed robbers in the past months and weeks. This is not to say, police officers should be allowed to kill suspected armed robbers at will. Rather, the call is for the resourcing of the police service in particular, as well as other security services.

On same day, Citi News’ Franklin Badu Jnr reported the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, has said the Police Service lacks the requisite safety equipment to protect its officers. According to the IGP, "the current logistical challenges makes it difficult for the Police to fight crime effectively and as well protect its men" [1]

Having said this we should not expect the IGP to jump from one radio station to another repeating the same thing, like a social commentator. This is where the human right activists, other stakeholders and Ghanains at large should take it from, and lobby policy makers to prioritize internal security, by fulfilling the constitutional mandate of equipping the police well to perform their duties.

What the death of one police officer means to the security of 833 Ghanaians

Ghana's population is 27,670,174, according to 2015 estimates.The current manpower strength of the Ghana Police service, (which is being reduced through the deaths) as at 31/12/2016, is 33,213. [2]. This translates into a Police -Population Ratio (PPR) as 1:833. [3] Meanwhile, the approved United Nations standard is 1:500 or better. [4]

As you can rightly guess, the death of one police officer means that, 833 Ghanains will be without adequate or zero security protection. This is certainly not something to brush aside as normal. Such 833 can be just anybody. I read with utter dismay, a reckless Facebook comment by one Ekua Esaba, a supposed graduate from Legon, who opined that the more police officers die, the more she is happy. Well, may be, she is safe wherever she is in the country. Police or no police, she is well protected. The strength of police service means nothing to her.

If Ekua Esaba cares to know, a security Analyst with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center, Kwesi Anning, has warned that "Ghana might witness more violent incidents involving extremely desperate individuals and armed criminals willing to fight the Police Service in the coming years, if its officers are not equipped with the requisite logistics needed to effectively deliver on its mandate.His caution follows Inspector General of Police, David Apeatu’s lamentation about the Service lacking basic safety equipment to keep its officers safe from attacks from armed men." [ 5].

The time to set internal security as a high priority is now, so that this canker can be nipped in the bud. The police cannot go about crying here and there for logistics. Lest they will be accused of "whining".

Meanwhile,the Director General in charge of Police Operations, COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu is reported to have "ordered his men not to relent in opening fire and gunning down robbers if the need arises." [6] .