Police personnel urged to deepen police-citizen relations

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, Eastern Regional Police Commander has urged Police personnel to deepen their relations with citizens to restore their trust and confidence in the Service.

He said it was only when citizens trusted security personnel, that they would be willing to partner them to fight crime.

The Regional Commander said in their dealings with citizens, the Police should take into consideration their rights and liberties in order not to subject them to intimidation and duress.

DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi gave the advice at the Closing Ceremony of a two-week High Risk Operation Training organized at the Police Counter-Terrorism Enactment and Concentrating Camp, Huhunya in the Eastern Region.

The training benefited some 525 personnel and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), including 42 females, drawn from all 18 Police regions and Ghana’s 16 political regions respectively.

The Regional Commander advised the Officers to engage citizens together with their Opinion leaders to know the problems they faced in their communities to map out strategies to meet those needs.

He said they should serve Ghana with all their strength and soul, putting the nation ahead of personal gain or interests.

DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi said Ghana faced domestic risks including; inter-tribal conflicts, land disputes, cross border crimes, kidnappings and armed robbery attacks, amongst others and emphasized that the mandate of the Personnel was to ensure Ghana’s security to carry out their daily activities without fear.

“It is our duty to ensure the territorial integrity of the nation and ensure that peace is prevailing,” he added.

Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Wejong Ali Raymond Adofiem, Director of High Risk Operation Training said the training was geared towards boosting public space protection, by creating awareness amongst citizens to be responsible for the security of their immediate environment and would also help security services to have a common situational awareness to identify elements of threats in society.

The Director said the Officers received training in theoretical areas meant to keep them abreast with current threats across the globe, domestic vulnerabilities and facilitation skills to be able to educate and create security awareness among civilians.

He said they were also taken through combat tactics and the handling of several emerging weaponry.

The Director said training for the next batch of personnel would commence in a week’s time and in future, they intended to add up all other agencies under the Ministry of Interior.