Tension At Poilce Training Schools

Tension and animosity are rising at all the six training schools of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) amongst new recruit and their instructors This follows the implementation of new directives on the orders of Mrs. Gifty Anim-Butwe the Commissioner of Police in charge of Human Resource.

The directives from Mrs. Anim-Botwe circulated to all the training schools requires that every new recruit should pay an amount of 500,000 cedis starting from June this year.

Police Training Schools are located in Accra, Kumasi, Bolgatanga, Winneba, Ho and Koforidua. Accra recruited 600 persons for training and the other five centres each had an in take of 150 bringing the total number of recruits this year to 1350.

Between June this year up to the same month in 2005 the schools would train about 2000 persons to serve as police men and women to provide security and protection to the country.

During vigorous investigations, it was found out that the whopping 500,000 being collected is to be used in providing accoutrement to the new recruits. [ Accoutrements are the basic needed items each police recruits needs during training which include one black trouser, one white and blue shirt, a white canvas shoes and a black neck tie.

Dealers in second hand cloths said 1/3 of the amount imposed by Mrs. Anim-Botwe is enough to shop for decent imported second hand cloths popularly preferred by many middle and low class Ghanaians.

As if the 500,000 imposition is not enough the Police Commissioner who took her position in May this year has also directed that some deductions should be made from the meager allowances received by recruits. The amount to be deducted is not yet known and the purpose for which it is to be deducted is not spelt out.

Many recruits who come from poor backgrounds had to quickly borrow money to pay before they are shown the exit from the training schools and it is clear that many would have to use their allowances to pay back monies they loaned. Some also use such allowances to support themselves at school and family relations fall on them to share the little government squeeze to help them go through training.

Training instructors have expressed dismay at the directives of Mrs. Anim-Botwe which is unprecedented and could not have been sanctioned by the highest police command. And instructors who however dare to openly criticize the order are threatened with transfer to serve in a junior position mostly at towns considered as no go places.

It was also discovered that the Human Resource Commissioner has contracted one other person believed to be a near relation to supply the accoutrements needed by the recruits.

A substantial percentage out of the amount to be realized after payment had been made ,would find it way to the accounts of Mrs. Anim-Botwe who is nearing retirement and what a better way to leave the service with smiles albeit at the expenses of recruits.

The Police Training School will train 2000 recruits in one year and each person is to pay 500,000 and a certain amount to be deducted from the allowances of recruits. In all this a percentage goes to Mrs. Anim-Botwe.

The recruits are not sure as to whom they should complain to over this treatment giving the fact that, the top notch of the service can not claim to be unaware of what is happening since Mrs. Anim-Botwe is acting right under their noses.

With hearts filled with anger, the recruits only hope that, a very higher authority would intervene to put a stop to this exploitation.

As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Commissioner in charge of Human Resource for her to giver her version proved futile.

Over the last few years, the country?s police chiefs have gained notoriety for exploiting junior officers.

An Accra private daily reported of now aggrieved officers had demanded the outcome of a probe into allegations of extortion of monies by their superiors in league with government officials. As usual the police administration denied all the allegations made against them