The image crisis of the Ghana Police Service, in terms of corruption, needs serious attention, the Deputy Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Richard Quayson has said.
He has, therefore, urged the Service to heighten efforts to address the perception and actual cases in order to build an efficient law enforcement agency, enhance its integrity and rejuvenate dwindling public confidence.
He was speaking at a day’s sensitisation workshop on the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) for senior police officers, held at the Police headquarters in Accra yesterday.
NACAP is a 10-year (2015 -2024) national anti-corruption strategy adopted in 2014.
The workshop is part of a series of programmes organised by the Service to create awareness of the plan and develop appropriate strategies to correct the negative public perception.
According to Mr Quayson, the role played by the Police Service in national development and attainment of the country’s motto, “Freedom and Justice” was so crucial that the loss of their integrity should not be taken lightly.
“You [police] are so crucial to our development. If you make mistakes, development goes wrong. We need to build a strong police force that is focused on its vision: Service with Integrity,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner, however, noted that there were many police men rendering meritorious service throughout the country.
The Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanuh, said the Service was concerned about the perception indexes and researches that ranked it as the most corrupt institution in the country.
To reserve this “worrying trend”, he said the Service had introduced a number of measures, including assignment of senior officers to supervise highway patrol, institution of special task force to check allegation of misconduct by officers and receive complaints from the public.
The IGP assured the public that it would take the necessary action on feedback received, adding that the Service had enhanced its disciplinary measures that had helped clear all backlog of cases.
“We have no choice but to work very hard to address the perception of corruption, if we are to remain relevant as a law enforcement intuition in the country.
“And I can assure you that the police administration is resolved to ensure that this NACAP initiative will succeed, we hope that the public will give us the needed support,” he said.
For his part, the Director General in charge of Research, Planning and Transformation, Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathan Kofi Boakye said the Service would ensure that such workshops help to instill discipline in the Service.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
