International Police Association honours Supt Quaye

The International Association Of Woman Police (IAWP) presented the Excellence in Performance Award to the Head of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Mrs Patience Ashorkor Quaye, at its annual training programme which came off in Durban, South Africa, in September this year.

This reward is for those who go above and beyond the high level of performance expected in law enforcement and for individuals whose exemplary performance is so unique and distinguishable to warrant the highest level of international recognition.

The purpose of the reward was to recognise women officers, who by their overall service and accomplishments, throughout their careers have distinguished themselves in leadership, community service, mentoring and excellence in performance.

The rewards for female police officers issued by the International Association of Women Police under its Annual Award Programmes are highly competitive, prestigious forms of international recognition for women police officers.

There are two distinct types of recognition under the annual IAWP Awards Programmes and under the first group, nominations are submitted by an individual's higher-level supervisors for a single, specific award category.

Each reward category has its own set of criteria in order to be considered and the second type of IAWP recognition for female police officers is the International Recognition and Scholarship Programme wherein an individual nominates herself.

For both programmes, recipients are honoured during each Annual Training Conference and the annual award honourees are recognised during an awards ceremony hosted by the annual IAWP Conference Committee and the IAWP award recipients are prominently featured in the Women Police Magazine.

Other awards
The outstanding efforts of Supt Quaye, who is also the Co-ordinator of IAWP's Region 18 have been recognised nationally as well as internationally. In 2007, she was honoured by the US Secretary of State and the United States Embassy in Accra and in that same year, she was named as one of the eight heroes of the 2007 Human Trafficking Award.

In December 2009, she was again awarded for Humility, Passion, Bravery and Confidence by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

In 2010, Barak Obama, President of the United States of America, recognised her efforts during his maiden visit to the country.

She also received a UN CRC Meritorious Award in 2011 for putting smiles back on the faces of thousands of trafficked victims, both locally and internationally, by MOWAC. In June 2011, she was awarded with the African Servant Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding service to people, the community and the nation.

In July 2012, Ga-Adangbe residents in Europe also rewarded her with the Excellence Award for the commitment, selflessness and passion she had for the children.

In 2011, Patience, as the operational commander, led a team of 400 officers to mount three operations in Ghana in human trafficking.

Overall, 263 victims were rescued in the operation BIA II and on October 27, 2012, she led 14 personnel drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, EOCO and Customs Division from Ghana to Burkina Faso for an operation code named Operation TUY.

In all, over 300 children, who were being used for exploitative mining activities, were rescued and 17 traffickers were arrested.

Professional Career
Superintendent Quaye was enlisted into the Ghana Police Service in 1977 and has since held several distinguished positions, including serving with Interpol, Ghana, the Detective Training School, and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

As Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, she played an outstanding role in the establishment of nine anti-human trafficking units nationwide, as well as in the rescue and prosecution of several cases over the years.

In the area of community service, she has created awareness of human trafficking, smuggling, and domestic violence.

Furthermore, she has embarked on a lot of sensitisation programmes from the junior high school to the tertiary level. In the informal sector—churches and traditional communities, she has created more awareness of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Educational Background
Superintendent Quaye holds a Master's degree in Public Administration, Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Diploma in Public Administration (GIMPA), Diploma in Police Administration (University of Ghana - Legon) Certificate in Public Administration, Certificate in Women In Management, Certificate in Policing, Certificate in Computer Programme and GCE 'O' Level Certificate.

By Mary Mensah/Daily Graphic/Ghana