The Welfare Scheme of the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, presented 18 Toyota Coaster buses to various Police Commands across the country to facilitate their operations.

Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who made the presentation in Accra to the National Police Headquarters and 17 various Regional Police Commands, said the Police Administration had made significant strides in recent years to improve the wellbeing and working conditions of personnel.

The achievement, the IGP said, included an ongoing construction of 50-bed capacity Police Hospital in Kumasi to cater for the health needs of personnel in the middle and northern sectors of the country, and Police Welfare Scheme’s loan threshold for personnel, which had been increased from GHC12,000 to GHC30,000.

Mr Oppong-Boanuh added that, training in mental health had been mainstreamed at all levels of Police Training, and that discussions were ongoing with the Ghana Psychology Association to incorporate a sustainable mental health system into the health and welfare support of the Service to take care of the personnel and their immediate family members.

“At every level of Policing, Station officers, Unit, District, Divisional and Regional Commanders should give an opportunity to their staff to speak to their supervisors about work and personal challenges and also listen to the officers they work with,” he said.

He acknowledged and commended Commissioner of Police, Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, the Director-General in charge of Police Welfare, and members of the Police Welfare Steering Committee for ensuring the improvement of personnel welfare.

Mrs Addo-Danquah said it was important for the Service to have its own fleet of buses to provide the welfare needs of personnel.

She added that the buses were purchased from the accumulated profit of monthly contributions of personnel and that any personnel who would need it would be required to apply and also pay a token to help maintain the buses.

Mrs Addo-Danquah commended the IGP and the Police Administration for their immense support, which had helped in initiating the gestures for the personnel.

Mr Kwaku Mensah Buah, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, the Manhyia Divisional Commander, who received the buses on behalf of all the Regional Commands, expressed gratitude to the IGP and the Committee for having the welfare of personnel at heart and assured that the buses would be put to good use.