Police Administration urged to integrate Case Tracking System into training curricula

The Police Administration has been urged to integrate the Ghana Case Tracking System (CTS) into its training activities to inspire personnel to develop an interest and ensure efficient implementation of the System.

Mr Collins Osei, the Chief Executive Officer of Save Our Environment Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must be an integral component of the curriculum of the Police Training School.

The CTS is an integrated software that tracks criminal cases in the justice delivery system from inception until their disposition.

Supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the implementation of the pilot project, among other objectives, seeks to provide a common platform for easy tracking of cases and communication between the justice delivery institutions.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), a non governmental organisation, is implementing the pilot project.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines of a public sensitization forum on the project held at Atronie in the Sunyani Municipality, Mr Osei said integrating the CTS into the training curricula would improve the knowledge of personnel on the system and its benefits to justice delivery.

“It is very unfortunate that the Service is facing challenges in the implementation of the CTS because many personnel do not understand the concept, its use and benefits to the nation,” he said.

The CTS is being piloted at the Sunyani, Abesim, and Atronie police stations and other institutions including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Attorney-General’s Department, Legal Aid Commission, Ghana Prisons Service and the Judicial Service.

“Since all the key institutions under the justice sector will be previewed to the cases on the system, it will enable easy tracking and prevent delays in the prosecution of the cases,” Mr Osei said.

“Under the previous system, when the Criminal Investigation Department officer handling a case is retired, indisposed or transferred, the case is sometimes forgotten, but the CTS builds robust data bases on cases,” he added.

He mentioned poor internet connectivity as well as the lack of equipment and devices as some of the challenges confronting the project implementation in the Municipality.

Mr Ali Mohammed, a farmer from Atronie, lauded the project, but expressed concern over the poor publicity, and said it was the first time many of the people were hearing it, and called for intensified public education to engender support.