Community policing is shared responsibility – Director
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mina Ayim, Director of Community Policing Unit, reminded the public on Friday that community policing was a shared responsibility between the police service and the public in fighting crime.
She noted that the community policing concept was to create awareness and solicit public collaboration and contributions towards public security in making the community safer.
DCOP Ayim said these at the first National Community Policing Stakeholders Conference on Friday in Accra on the theme: “Community Policing, Making our Communities Safer.”
She said community policing was both a philosophy and an organizational strategy that allowed the police and the community to work together in new ways to solve problems of crime.
DCOP Ayim said the strategy was a worldwide experimental effort adopted by the United Nations being practiced in Europe and Asia and had yielded positive results in crime prevention and safety.
She said the Community Policing Unit had for the past four months paid courtesy calls on civil societies, traditional rulers, the business community, financial and banking institutions to sensitize them on the concept.
DCOP Ayim said community policing was aimed to enhance secure and safer neibourhoods, personal safety and security of properties in promoting growth and development in the country.
She said the unit needed vehicles, bicycles, communication devices and information systems to facilitate its operations.
DCOP Ayim said the Community Policing Unit of the Ghana Police Service was established in June 2002 with the setting up of the administration section and the Bicycle Patrol Unit.
She said this came as a result of the realization that there was the need for the police to collaborate with members of the communities, stakeholders, chiefs and opinion leaders in dealing with crime.
The Bicycle Patrol Unit covers areas such as Osu, Labone, East Cantonment and Nima after a pilot programme in Labone proved successful.
The unit currently has 28 personnel made up of three Senior Police Officers, two Chief Inspectors and 23 other ranks.
Source: GNA