VP Amissah-Arthur inaugurates Police Command and Staff College
Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Wednesday inaugurated the Ghana Police Command and Staff College, with a call on the Ghana Police to brace up to deal with crime.
He acknowledged that crime in general has increased in sophistication therefore, there was the need for an increase in the needs of the Police Systems to harness their strengths, resources and training to match the complexity of the challenges.
“It is therefore proper for the Ghana Police Service to develop the requisite manpower with the view to acquiring the professional and operational skills and knowledge,” the Vice said in Winneba in the Central Region, where the College is sited.
With 26 pioneer students, the College is offering training to improve the professional skills and knowledge of Senior Police Officers.
It is running courses at three levels of management: Junior Command Course, an Intermediate Course and a Senior Command and Executive Management Course.
Vice-President Amissah-Arthur, who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Police Council, commended the current Police Administration for having the vision to establish the College.
According to the Vice-President, the Ghana Police Administration had relied on the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, the Nigerian Police Command and the Staff College and selected foreign institutions to offer senior level training for its officers.
But because these institutions were not set up solely for the Ghana Police Service, they have not been able to meet the needs of the Police. It is also noted that their courses were not specifically tailored to cover the needs of a law enforcement agency.
The Vice-President said it was always the intention of the Police Administration to establish its own Command and Staff College to create the opportunity for large number of officers to undertake further and higher training.
“This is the purpose for the establishment of the Ghana Police Command and Staff College at Winneba,” the Vice-President said.
He expressed gratitude to the traditional chiefs for offering the land for the College, and other collaborating persons and institutions such as the Efutu Municipal Chief Executive, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Centre, the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, and Development Partners for their support.
Mr. Mohamed Amin Alhassan, the Inspector General of Police said the College would collaborate with the media to reach the public better.
“When we become a very matured school, we are aiming at giving consultancy services to other law enforcement agencies,” he said.
He advised the pioneer students to use the skills and knowledge they would acquire for better and responsible leadership and not to pander to pleasing everybody which would rather breed mediocrity.
Chief Supt. Maame Yaa Tiwaah Addo-Danquah is the Acting Commandant of the College.
Prior to the inaugural ceremony, 450 recruits were passed out as constables after completing a six month course in Basic Policing, for which the overall best recruit was Rebecca Makosa Darko.
Source: GNA