The mechanisms is in place to check Police misconduct - DSP Kwesi Ofori
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot

Accra, Feb 19, Ghanadot - For sometime now, the Ghana Police Service has come under public criticism and condemnation for not applying the professional ethics of the service to their work. Motorists and Ghanaians in general have accused the police of various crimes, including bribery and armed robbery.

Others have also openly declared their distrust for the police service, but the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Kwesi Ofori has explained that they have put mechanisms in place to arrest abuses in the service.

He said for a police officer at a check point to collect bribe or misbehave will not bode well for that person and the uniform he represents; therefoe, if caught, or reported on, he would be appropriately sanctioned.

DSP Kwesi Ofori debunked allegations that patrol cars which were meant to guard and protect homes and communities from crimes had been turned into personal properties of some police officers. He said police patrols should always be at the post or the location they were assigned to, and that complaints to the contrary were yet to be investigated for  any misconduct on the part of the patrol officers concerned.

Some members of the public have reported that some of the cars which were supposed to be working to ease crime and bring order to places could be seen at market places and other spots.

Mr. Ofori denied this saying, “when you see our cars in markets, business communities, residential areas, it means we are there to protect."

“When you go to Agbogbloshie, one of the business areas, we have our men engaged in vehicular patrols. Policing involves getting close to the people, business communities and not to shop, but as human beings, definitely, some might want to buy some things.  But to say they are there solely for personal reasons cannot be true."

When asked that convicts had come out prisons to confirm that there were many people left languishing in our prisons, who have been put there by the police and and left forgotten, DSP Ofori spelled out that within 2 years, over 400 people were arrested for armed robbery and other offences  “but when we send there we have done our work.  It is is up to the criminal justice to work”.

Another problem that bothers Ghanaians is the police inability to report to some crime scenes with the usual excuse that there are no cars to bring them.  Consequently, many people have lost their properties to armed robbers due to the police not doing it work.

How can the public being fully aware that the police have been well funded over the years, with better equipment for work, believe such excuses?

DSP Kwesi Ofori explained that as a developing country, “I don’t think we can meet all our needs, we have what to work with and we are making judicious use of what we have”.

Elaborating on the position of Ghana in terms of security, DSP Kwesi Ofori said Ghana is one of the peaceful countries on the continent. He commended the people of Ghana for having faith in the police service and for partnering with the police to fight crime and bring law and order in the country.

He said the peace that the country was enjoying had been acknowledged by the sub region and the world at large.

For DSP Ofori, Ghana has done well in terms of its growing democracy and good governance despite the challenges that confronts it.