Police Service over politicized – Ofosu Ampofo

The First Vice Chairperson of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has said the Ghana Police Service has been over-politicized, a situation which is negatively affecting the work of the law enforcement agency.

He bemoaned the high number of transfers that are made in the police service in a single month, whenever there is a change of government, adding that such action has the tendency of affecting morale in the service.

He made the comments on Peace FM Wednesday during a discussion on what some have said is the growing state of insecurity in the country following the recent attacks on the police personnel by armed robbers.

The Dome-Kwabenya Police Station in Accra was attacked by some unknown assailants on Sunday dawn, during which a senior police officer was killed and seven armed robbers freed from cell by the attackers.

About a fortnight ago, two police officers were shot to death by suspected armed robbers in the Ashanti region at dawn. The attack has heightened fears of insecurity among Ghanaians with some security analysts suggesting the police cannot be trusted to protect the citizenry.

But Mr Ofosu Ampofo believes the depoliticization of the police service will help restore confidence in police officers which will embolden them to discharge their duties without fear of favour.

“The Police institution is over-politicized, at a workshop organized by CODEO in Ada to review election security, the police themselves were calling for the IGP to have a fixed term of office and shouldn’t be co-terminus with any government. So that he knows that he has a free hand to do his work over a period of time. The politicization of the police service can affect morale depending upon who is in charge, so you see that even in the Police service there are allegiances.

“Even recruitment into the police service is heavily politicized, we are all part to be blamed. We should allow them to discharge their duties professionally. If we’re able to do that they will be much more efficient in their work.

Mr Ofosu Ampofo called for massive retooling of the police service to enable the personnel give of their best.