Discipline is hallmark of effective policing-IGP

Ho, Jan. 9, GNA- The Inspector General of Police, Mr Patrick Acheampong has alerted personnel of the Service to the fact that strict discipline is the hallmark of effective Policing. "There is no reason why I should tamper justice with mercy in dealing with indiscipline", he emphasized. The IGP made the point at a durbar of Police personnel in Ho, as part of his tour of Police establishments in the Volta Region on Sunday. "As an effective manager you should be ready to take hard decisions when the situation called for it", he told the gathering which included Senior Police Officers accompanying him and their counterparts in the region.

Mr Acheampong said poor working conditions did not provide any excuses for indiscipline, hence the need for personnel to constantly read the relevant laws, regulations and codes on discipline in the Service. He observed that the field of discipline in the Service was wide. The IGP therefore cautioned personnel against infractions such as drunkenness while in uniform and in mufti, fiddling with cases to delay prosecutions and give unfair advantage to one party in litigation, unauthorized erection of barriers, incivility in the use of language and rudeness among other issues.

"It is an offence to borrow money without seeking my approval," he said, adding: "Anytime you misbehave it is my picture that appears in the Press, and the image of the Service that is scandalized." The IGP gave the assurance that his administration would balance enforcement of discipline with efforts at easing the challenging conditions under which they were working. That he said was the reason why he had decided to undertake the tour of establishments throughout the country to address problems that could be tackled on the spot, relating to welfare and to work on those that required further consultation and planning.

As part of the tour the IGP commissioned four new bungalows for Senior Officers in Ho at a total cost of 1.084 billion cedis financed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and built by the State Housing Company. He also inspected works on an Operations Centre at the Regional Police Headquarters and the Adaklu-Trefe and Tokokoe police stations.