Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare

When the current Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare was appointed and confirmed by the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 1, 2021, many were those who heaved a sigh of relief and were full of praise and joy because they were of a firm conviction that the old order that had contributed to the low morale and sunken image of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), would be a thing of the past.

THE SUNKEN IMAGE OF THE POLICE IN THE PAST

Before then, the service had virtually been associated with all kinds of malpractices and fraudulent activities as well as certain illegalities among a section of officers that gave the entire police service a bad name.  Bribery and corruption among some recalcitrant police officers were common, with entire discipline at the lowest ebb.  However, with the introduction of this young hardworking and ‘no nonsense’ police officer at the helm of affairs, the image of the service appears to be changing gradually.

The 52-year-old police officer who is a chartered accountant with a very rich experience in policing and educational background, was the youngest IGP to be appointed under the Fourth Republic and the eight youngest since Ghana gained independence in 1957.  During his over 30 years as a police officer, Dr. Dampare, has made significant contributions to policing in Ghana and beyond.  He has indeed, used his vast experience to change the face of the entire police service in the country and introduced far-reaching and pragmatic policies to enhance the image and to instill discipline within the Ghana Police Service.

MAINTAINING DISCIPLINE AMONG POLICE OFFICERS BY IGP

No wonder, shortly after he had assumed office, a number of police officers who were found to have been involved in various forms of illegalities were interdicted and put under investigations.  He put in place pragmatic steps to curb misconduct behaviour and warned that he would not hesitate to punish miscreant officers whose actions oppress the public to lose confidence in the Ghana Police Service.  Hear him in a speech when he addressed a durbar of police officers and civilians in the past; “We want to give you assurance that in our quest to become a world class police institution, we have no reason not to put up our game and make sure that we leave all the things that are unprofessional, unethical and inhuman that set us against the public behind so that at the end of the day, we would be out there to be appreciated with the public having confidence in us.”

I do not intend to bore my readers and patrons with the achievements of the IGP during his less than one year in office for lack of space and also not to deviate from the topic I have chosen to write on.  My focus is on how some misguided police officers are misconducting themselves, thus lowering the hard earned reputation the Police Service had carved for itself.

DEALING WITH THE MISCREANTS WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE

Indeed, in most organisations and institutions, there are few bad nuts and miscreants who do not want to conform to order or the status quo of the places in which they served.  Their main intention is to engage in negative activities to soil the image and reputation of their institutions and give them bad names.  Such is the case of the Ghana Police Service currently, in which some officers are doing things contrarily to what pertains in their establishment.

Recently, there was a negative development in which the police have been accused of arbitrary using brute force against defenseless students of the Kumasi Islamic Senior High School (SHS).  The news of that incident which went public on social media and other traditional media outlets, indicated that about 25 students of the SHS were hospitalised after the police allegedly opened tear gas on them while they were protesting against frequent road crashes of pedestrians in front of the school.  The victims were said to be part of a group of students who blocked the Abrepo Junction-Barekese road during the protest.

THE NASTY INCIDENT AT KUMASI ISLAMIC SHS

The angry students had massed up on the road in protest, as they called for the construction of speed ramps on that stretch of the road.  So far, we are being told that the affected students had been discharged and calm has been restored on the school campus, making way for academic activities to proceed.

The IGP in his usual reactive manner, has interdicted some officers for their roles in the disturbance.  The officers were said to be part of the team said to have video-taped the clash.  They consist of a Chief Inspector and two corporals.  He warned that any personnel found culpable would be dealt with, according to law. He said the Police Administration would ensure that professionalism was upheld by the service.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE VIOLENCE

 “Whatever happened in terms of policing aspect of it, we are going to look into it and take all actions that needs to be taken to ensure that at the end of the day, the right thing is done.  We will ensure professionalism is deepened in a way that will not put the life of anybody at risk because as police, we are here to protect life and property and if we cannot do that, then we might fail in our mandate, and it is something that we don’t want to do.”  Already, the police have admitted that a better approach to tackling the riot at the school could have been employed.

We are informed that the acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander and two other senior officers have been interdicted to pave the way for a smooth investigation into the clash.  Parliament has taken a serious view of the matter and the Speaker has directed the Select Committee on Defense and Interior to probe into the matter.

Another nasty incident was recorded in Accra recently, in which the police were reported to have clashed with some youth group calling itself “Arise Ghana” who were demonstrating against the hike in fuel prices and the harsh economic condition by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumiah-led administration. A number of casualties including some police officers were recorded in that demonstration.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IN CROWD CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

The circumstances surrounding those incidents amply demonstrated that either the police are not in tune with crowd management or they intentionally ignored or flouted the processes in handling these demonstrations, particularly that of the students’ demonstration.  Their role in crowd management is to prevent crime and gather intelligence by patrolling the area and ensuring the safety of both participants and non-participants.  Controlling an unruly crowd demands preparations, flexibility and resoluteness.

Security experts have made it clear that whether it is for a festival, concert, sporting competition or a conference, crowd management is critical factor that keeps your event safe.  According to them a large number of people gathering at the same one place, creates high risk that can end up with serious consequences if it is not controlled properly.

I do not intend to tell the IGP what he should do because I am not a security expert but from my little observation, some of his men may need some form of training in crowd control and management to prepare them adequately to handle such situations.  We are in an era where demonstration has become a norm and that has been enshrined in our statute books and, therefore, no one including the police administration can deny such lawful arrangements, provided they are peaceful in nature.  However, some peaceful demonstrations at times can turn violent and the police must be ready to handle such situations in a more civil and peaceful manner.  Demonstrations are indeed, lawful but they should be conducted within the confines of the laws of this country and this, Ghanaians must know and strictly abide by the laws.

IGP AND THE TASK AHEAD OF HIM

Knowing the pedigree of the IGP and his vast knowledge and experience in crime related issues including how some of these violent demonstrations are handled, I am of the conviction that he will rise up to the task of ensuring that the right processes are adopted and followed to protect lives and property as well as maintaining peace and security which are prerequisites in our dear country.  We must also build enough confidence in our security apparatus, especially the police service and keep them entirely off politics as much as possible to enable them to stand the test of time.  Having said this, it is my firm belief that the alleged culprits of the Kumasi Islamic SHS incident will be thoroughly interrogated and those found culpable are brought to book.

BY CHARLES NEEQUAYE

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