Ghanaians must appreciate Police Officers

Police officers are responsible for protecting citizens from danger and criminals. They play an essential role in safeguarding the country's peace and security. This exposes them to risk and death despite the fact that they are undervalued and unacknowledged. The Ghana Police Service, rated 8th in Africa and 87th in the world among 127 nations in the World Internal Security and Police Index in 2016, is vital in ensuring the country's internal security. The nation would devolve into turmoil, lawlessness, and anarchy if the Ghana Police Service did not exist. This emphasizes its significance in preserving and defending the country's internal security, making it one of its most important institutions. Despite these critical functions, some Ghanaians seem to despise the police and are killing some of them without provocation.

For example, in a single month in 2019, five (5) Ghana Police Service personnel were slain in the course of duty. Among the instances are the following: Corporal Agatha Nana Nabin of the Northern Regional Police Command was killed on July 30, 2019, at a police roadblock on the Tamale-Kumbungu road. Corporal Bernard Antwi, 37, was found dead after working hours in Manso Abodom in the Amansie West District on August 19, 2019. Officer Antwi was assigned to the Divisional Command of Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti area. Then, on August 28, 2019, Sergeant Michael Dzamesi and Lance Corporal Mohammed Awal were slain when armed individuals in a saloon vehicle opened fire on them during their routine inspections on the Accra-Winneba road. Both were unarmed at the time of the killings. Tragically, those who have committed their life to defending Ghanaian society are being slaughtered like fowls. Ghanaians need to appreciate police officers. Some people may not understand me, but those of us who have traveled to war-torn countries where internal security has broken down because of the absence of police know the essence of police officers. I do not blame them because Shania Twain said, "When you don't come from struggle, gaining appreciation is difficult." Please let us appreciate our officers because gratitude makes sense for our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Police officers must know that not all Ghanaians dislike them. In reality, most of the population holds them in high esteem since, despite structural issues, officers do their best to keep society safe. It is an open secret that police personnel in the nation need more equipment and facilities to adequately perform their responsibilities. For example, most police officers are underpaid and under-housed. According to the United Nations, the police officer-to-population ratio should be 1:450 in order to ensure security, law, and order. Ghana, with a population of over 30 million people and a police force of approximately 28,000, has a police-to-civilian ratio of approximately 1:1200. This makes policing and ensuring peace and order tough. Still, officers have not given up on Ghanaians.

While most police officers carry out their duties honorably and professionally, some smear the service's reputation. As a writer, I am using the six letters P-O-L-I-C-E to implore the men and women in uniform to go above and beyond to provide quality and efficient services.

P, is the first letter of the alphabet in police. It represents Professionalism. It is the single most successful method of improving police work. Officers must understand that professionalism contributes to high-quality outcomes. Furthermore, professionalism instills trust in the public that cops can safeguard them with their expertise and understanding. In this way, police officers must be professional in discharging their duties.

The letter O stands for objectivity. This implies that law enforcement officials must make objective decisions. Being objective means officers must refrain from allowing their sentiments to influence their operations. In this regard, officers must record what they see, hear, touch, or smell, not what they think. To acquire the community's confidence, police officers must always behave objectively. Being objective fosters trust, which is vital in law enforcement. Without it, police officers would be battling criminals and the good people they have sworn to protect.

The letter L stands for Loyalty. To acquire citizens' confidence and adequately carry out their jobs, police officers must stay loyal to the nation and the communities they serve. Loyalty guarantees that police realize their colleagues will overlook the danger and assist them regardless of the threat. Without Loyalty and camaraderie, law enforcement officers would be ineffectual because they would be hesitant to put themselves in danger. Aside from that, L indicates that a police officer must be a leader in times of crisis. Being a crisis leader entails being bold and courageous.

The letter I stands for Integrity. This term refers to the trait of always being honest and having and applying solid moral principles. It is also the ability to own up when one has made a mistake and accept responsibility for it. It also entails being trustworthy and reliable even when doing the right thing is difficult or unpopular. There can be no honesty without Integrity, accountability without honesty, and growth without accountability. It is evident from this that Integrity is the fundamental trait required for every police officer to succeed.

The letter C stands for credibility. This means that every time a police officer places the left hand on the Bible, lifts the right hand in the air, and swears to speak the truth and nothing but the truth, he or she is putting his or her reputation at stake. Police testimony and reports are relied on in criminal prosecutions, and many police have lost their jobs when proof emerges that they lied or were dishonest. Furthermore, police officers must constantly be confident in their ability to accomplish a given task since confidence leads to decisiveness under stress. When an officer arrives at a situation, the confidence must be visible to everyone there. Officers must constantly remember that their outward appearance tells of their mental state of alertness. Compassion is also represented by the letter C. This means that cops must be compassionate since their primary responsibility is to safeguard lives. Officers give direct assistance to victims of crime. Thus, they must display empathy, the capacity to converse freely and comfort strangers, and the ability to learn from the community they serve.

E, the last alphabet in police, relates to the requirement for officials to make ethical judgments. Ethical decision-making is the basis of right and wrong and is essential to community involvement. The vital role of police officers is to serve the community, protect lives and property, defend the innocent from deceit, the weak from tyranny or intimidation, and the peaceful from violence or disturbance, and uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens. Officers must maintain an unblemished private life as an example to others and conduct in a way