Daily Graphic & Ghanaian Times

The two national dailies - the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times devote their front-pages to the release of a Government White Paper on the police service and a police, army swoop carried out in Accra.

The Graphic's headline reads "Big deal for the police, as govt. acts on Archer Report" while the Times' has "white paper on police service release" as it second story.

The Times reports that the government has issued a white paper on the operations of the Ghana Police Service and law enforcement in the country.

The paper refers to an official statement which said a seven- member Commission chaired by former Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Philip Archer, found the Police Service to be woefully undermanned, ill trained and equipped.

It also observed that morale and motivation among personnel were low and recommended measures to improve the situation.

The measures include the review of policy guidelines and qualifications for enlistment, as well as the extension of training period of recruits into the Ghana Police Service from six months to nine months.

The Graphic says the government has directed that a Marine Police Unit be established to enforce law and order on Ghana's sea, ports and on the Volta Lake.

It has also directed that where necessary, new divisions be created within the Police Service to enhance effective policing.

The other story reported by the two papers on the police swoop said 74 suspected criminals were arrested by a combined team of Police and Army personnel in a special dawn operation at their hideouts in the Accra Metropolis.

The paper said the operations were carried out at Avenor, Nima 441, Angola, Haatso, Dansoman, Flamingo, Gbegbeyiese, Mampoase and Mamprobi areas.

The operation lead to the seizure of 46 maxi bags and four large suitcases of substances suspected to be Indian Hemp. Other items found were a locally manufactured pistol, 163 pieces of shot gun cartridges, tape recorders, television sets, a number of mobile phone, some electrical appliances, and human bones among other.