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OF NAME TAGS AND POLICE PERSONNEL

By newtimesonline.com
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 | Print | E-Mail | PDF | Graphics Version
General News



In every human institution, there are bound to be bad nuts and the Ghana Police Service is no exception.

However, on the international front, the service has a high reputation as one of the best peacekeeping institutions in the UN system.

In peacekeeping operations around the world, Ghanaian police have stood tall among equals. For instance, in Bosnia, Cambodia and Sudan among other trouble spots, the Ghanaian police personnel have brought pride and honour to this nation.

However, unfortunately at home, the image of the service, does not match its international reputation because of the bad nuts.

For example, there are some who engage in acts unbecoming of their uniform. It is commonly alleged that some of them extort sums of money from drivers at checkpoints.

There are also even occasional allegations of some police personnel involved in armed robberies and drug related cases.

It is sad that a noble institution like the Police Service which has been entrusted with the nation's safety and security, has evidently been infiltrated by people of dubious character and questionable backgrounds. This is why there have been suggestions from some quarters that recruitment should be done at the local level for better screening of applicants.

Perhaps, it is these negative practices that prompted the Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, to give the directive that henceforth police personnel should wear name tags. The Minister gave the directive when he assumed office about three months ago.

It is gratifying that the Police Administration has heeded the Minister's call and has since provided more than 10,000 name tags for its personnel across the country, as reported in this paper yesterday.

It is believed that the reason for the directive was for easy identification of personnel and to promote professionalism.

The Times commends the Minister for this wonderful initiative and hopes that it will not be a nine-day wonder, especially coming at this crucial time when the nation is preparing for an election when the services of the police will be greatly needed to maintain law and order at the polling centres and elsewhere.

It is an undeniable fact that the negative perceptions about the police service erode confidence in the institution.

That is why the Times expects senior police personnel not only to lead exemplary lives but also to instill in their subordinates positive police habits.

We also implore the personnel to demonstrate to the public that the service has come of age and that it will no longer tolerate those who give it a bad name.

However, while advising the police to purge themselves of the negative image, the Times appeals to the public in turn to refrain from the undue pressures often exerted on the police.

People should stop the bad habit of using the police to do their dirty work for them.

We welcome the Minister's name tags initiative and hope that its implementation will complement other efforts by the Police Administration to achieve and maintain high professional standards in the service.




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