President urges police to gain public trust with virtuous conduct in fighting crime

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday charged the Police Administration to ensure that the personnel uphold discipline, integrity, accountability and service in the discharge of their duties.

Without those virtues, he said, gaining the confidence and trust of the public to support fighting crime would be problematic.

The President gave the charge at the 50th Cadet Officers’ Graduation Parade at the Police Academy in Accra, where 129 officers were appointed into the senior officer corps of the Service.

The cadets are the first batch of the Service’s maiden nine-month course with a curriculum tailored to international standards and best practices in policing.

Cadets pursue more academic work now than in the previous six months course.

Those who pass the academic component of the course are awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma Certificate in Security Studies.

President Akufo-Addo pointed out that it was imperative that police personnel endeavoured to do the rights things in all situations, and employed the highest ethical standards to court the confidence of the public.

“It is important that discipline prevails in the Police service…this is charge I give the Acting Inspector-General  and the entire police administration. Without discipline and effective supervision, winning public confidence and support to fight crime will be very problematic.

“The prevention and detection of crime are shared responsibilities between the police and the public, and mutual respect, confidence and support are required to achieve this goals,” he stressed.

The Police Service, the President reiterated, was mandated to prevent and detect crime, apprehend offenders and maintain the service of persons and property.

However, the effective execution of that mandate, was premised on building a professional police service “that is accountable, responsible, transparent and trustworthy, and which accommodates the concerns of the general public that it serves.”

“We want to go back to the good old days of policing, where people felt that all the efforts of the Police were geared towards making their lives more comfortable,” he said.

Touching on the recent increase in the violent crime across the country, which has generated safety and security concerns from the public, President Akufo-Addo assured the nation that the government was working to tackle the situation that he described as “complex, and sometimes quite unpredictable.”

“I want to assure Ghanaians that the police service and indeed all the other security services are determined to deal; decisively with the threats posed by dangerous criminals, and criminal syndicates.

“We can help them succeed in this endeavor if we urge the police and the other Security Services on and give them as much support and cooperation in the fight as we can,” he said, stressing that the Government remained committed to resourcing the Police Service by providing adequate personnel and logistics to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

The President congratulated the graduating officers whose appointments elevate them to the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police. Some would assume the ranks of Deputy Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Police.

He advised the new senior officers to be agents of change, saying, “the training you have undergone should have imbibed in you the values of the commitments to discipline, duty, hard work, and integrity.”

“I am hopeful that you would bring to bear the knowledge you have acquired to project positively, the image of the Police Service. Discharge your responsibilities professionally and live above reproach.”

The President also commended the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare for his performance which has so far elicited strong public backing and the support of his Government.

“He has so far vindicated my decision to repose trust in him to this high office. I am confident that once the necessary processes are completed, which I am sure will be soon, he will become our nation’s 23rd Inspector General of Police,” he said.

Cadet Officer Ernest Kwofie was adjudged the overall best cadet officer  for Course 50.

Source: GNA