Liberia National Police understudy Ghana Police

An 18-member joint delegation of officers from the Liberia National Police and Swedish Police Authority are in Ghana for a four-day visit to acquaint themselves with measures the Ghana Police Service has put in place to fight crime.

The delegation comprises four senior officers and 14 other ranks, led by the Sheriff of the Liberia National Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Varney Ali.

The team will visit the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service and also interact with the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to understand how sexual and gender-based violence and related crimes are handled.

Collaboration

Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Francis Aboagye Nyarko, emphasised the need for such cooperation and coordination among the security services in the West African sub-region.

He said it was essential for the Liberian National Police and the Ghana Police Service to share experiences and come up with strategies that could facilitate the achievements of their mandates effectively.

“The Ghana Police Service is ready and our doors are open to share the knowledge we have acquired for the fight against crimes in other countries,” he told the delegation.

Giving an overview of the Ghana Police Service, which was known as the Police Force in the colonial days, the Chief Staff Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Francis Chidi, said the 1992 Constitution, Police Service Act 1970 (350), Service Instructions and the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 76) defined the role and mandates of the Ghana Police Service.

He said the Police Service had worked during civilian governments and military regimes which had witnessed a number of coup d’états but the service had remained resilient throughout those periods.

New vision

Currently, Mr Chidi said the vision of the Ghana Police Service was to be a world-class service capable of delivering planned, democratic, proactive and peaceful services up to the standards of international best practices.

The Director of Operations of the CID, ACP Mr Joseph Oklu Gyamera, took the delegation through the operations of the department and said the CID, establishment in 1921, was made up of key units such as the Cybercrime Unit, the Documentation and Visa Fraud sections and had well-trained officers who investigated and prosecuted cases to help reduce crime.

Sharing

For his part, the Sheriff of the Liberia National Police said the Ghana Police had mentored its Liberian counterpart in the establishment of the organisation.

“We now want to expand in knowledge and for that matter Ghana is the best reference point for us since the expansion takes its root from the training Ghana police gave during the reformation of the Liberian National Police ,” he said.

During a tour, the delegation visited the communication room of the Police Service to familiarise themselves with the modern information and communications technology (ICT) centre used for police operations.

They were impressed that the facility had reduced the police response time to crime drastically as distress calls were sent to patrol teams and other relevant agencies promptly for timely interventions.

They also saw how cameras had been installed at various national installations, crime-prone areas and at some traffic lights to monitor errant individuals and ensure public safety.