Police deepen skills in crowd management

The Police Administration as part of preparations towards ensuring adequate security protection for all Ghanaians during the general elections, has increased the training of officers in crowd management.

About 30 selected senior officers are currently going through a two-week course in Kumasi to sharpen their skills to efficiently handle mass protests.

This is being done with support from the British High Commission in Accra with Safety Security International (SSI), a United Kingdom (UK)-based civil security agency, as the facilitator.

The officers, made up of mainly district commanders, are being taken through the management of public protests and stadium riot control among other things.

It comes as the struggle by the political parties for power gathers momentum.

Mr. Pat McKee, Managing Director of SSI, said they would share the UK’s experience and best practices in policing with the participants.

Public protests, he said, are legal and it is up to the police to do everything to make these peaceful.

He said even when they are riotous, they should be handled such that lives and property would be protected.

He said there was the need for the police to closely work with the leadership of the political parties to bring the expected huge crowds at the rallies under control.

Mr. McKee praised Ghana for the success of its elections over the last two decades and urged the security agencies to act more professionally to sustain the peace.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Augustine Gyenning, the Ashanti Regional Commander, thanked the High Commission and the SSI for the training programme.

This, he said, could not have come at a better time and urged the participants to take full advantage of the program.**