Police Service creates "Protection Unit"

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 8th Sept. '99 - The Ghana Police Service has created a 'Protection Unit' to perform guard duties for the banks, utility installations and very important persons (VIP's). The Commissioner of Police in charge of Technical and General Services, Mr Joe Como Mprah, announced this at the passing-out parade of 139 new police general recruits at Koforidua on Monday.

He said the establishment of the unit had become necessary in view of the rising spate of armed robbery and other sophisticated crimes in the country. Mr Mprah said the recruits constituted part of the first batch of over 700 policemen who would form the nucleus of the new unit.

The first group has already passed out and two more batches are expected at two training centres in Accra and Ho in the next few days.

Mr Mprah noted that the Police Service had come under severe public criticism for alleged brutalities, corruption, indiscriminate shooting and other forms of unprofessional behaviour.

Though some of the allegations were true, the police administration had not spared any policeman who had misconducted himself. Mr Mprah said the fact that the police were law enforcement officers did not in any way place them above the law, adding that where a policeman's behaviour borders on criminality, he is made to face the law.

Mr Mprah said the advent of the new millennium and increased awareness of human rights issues, posed greater challenges to the police in the management of public order.

To this end, a professional policeman in the next millennium should not only be an effective crime fighter dealing with modern organised crime and terrorism but must, more importantly, also be people friendly.

Mr Mprah, therefore, advised the new recruits to exercise a good measure of discretion, display a sense of impartiality and fairness and be guided by the Police code of ethics at all times.

The overall best recruit went to General Recruit Emmanuel Addae, with the best academic performance going to General Recruit Daniel Obeng.