Crime suspects must be treated humanely – DCOP Gyenning

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Augustine Gyenning, the Ashanti Regional Commander, has underlined the need for the fundamental rights of crime suspects to be respected.

He said the Police Administration would not accept any abuses committed by its officers and would appropriately sanction offenders.

He urged the personnel to uphold professional ethics and operate within the service rules and regulations to avoid trouble.

DCOP Gyenning was opening a two-week police trainers’ course on human rights, gender-based violence and reduction of HIV/AIDS stigmatization at Fumesua in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality.

It is being organized with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ghana AIDS Commission, John Hopkins University and two other NGOs – Family Health International (FHI) 360-Sharper and Centre for Communication Project (CCP)-Behaviour Change Project.

The participants are from the Kumasi, Accra, Ho, Koforidua, Pwalugu and Winneba Police training schools.

DCOP Gyenning said they would use the programme to deliberate on modern policing and effective ways of enforcing the law without stigmatizing, discriminating or trampling on the rights of the very people they were to protect.

He said since the nature of their job also exposed them to the deadly HIV/AIDS infection, it was pertinent to review the training curriculum to help adequately keep the trainee recruits and cadet officers adequately informed about current trends of the disease.

Mr. Sam Wambugu of the FHI 360-Sharper expressed optimism that the course would go a long way, to assist bring down the flagrant abuse of the rights of people because of ignorance.

Source: GNA