Congrats police

One potent and sure way to remove conflict, ensure sustainable development and make a country attractive to investors and visitors is to have in place a very robust and effective security system that it has built for itself.

It is for this and other reasons that nations, such as Ghana, see investment in national security as topmost priority. It is thus understandable when special attention is paid and a huge budgetary allocation is made to national security.

It is also the basis for the provision of the best conditions of service for members of the security services, so that the security of the state will not be compromised.

Indeed, any attack on the security of a state or security personnel is considered an attack on the country and is countered with all state might and power.

At dawn last Sunday, some gunmen stormed the Kwabenya District Police Command, overpowered policemen on duty and killed one officer. The gunmen were there on a mission to release suspected criminals who had been placed in custody.

One cannot imagine how those hit men would dare attack a police command! Obviously, that blatant act shook the foundations of the Police Service and the country’s security system as a whole and sent shock waves across the country.

But, given the professionalism that security personnel are noted for, four days after the act five of the suspects have been arrested.

The Daily Graphic highly commends the police for such a feat. We have never doubted their ability to rise to the occasion when the challenge arises. This brings assurance to the citizenry that their safety and security are in good hands.

But the Kwabenya incident is not the only one recorded in recent times. For a couple of years now the country has lost a number of policemen in the line of duty. And we think that the life of one security officer lost in the course of protecting lives and property and defending the country is one too many.

The sages say experience is the best teacher. Therefore, with this occurrence and others that have been witnessed across the country, we at the Daily Graphic would want to advise the Police Administration to have a second look at how it keeps suspects, especially hardened ones.

Perhaps the time has come for the police to consider building multiple cells in new police stations, so that they can separate hardened criminals on remand from other inmates. This will make it easier for the police to mount heavy surveillance on hardened criminals.

It will also not be out of place for the police to, henceforth, ensure that suspected hardened criminals who are arrested are sent to stations where there are adequate men and arms to keep adventurists at bay.

We also suggest that, as a matter of urgency and as police rules permit, officers on duty, both in charge offices and on patrol, be supplied with arms that are easy to handle and easy to manipulate. This is because in the event that a policeman is attacked unawares, it becomes difficult to pick up and operate a weapon such as an AK 47.

Once again we congratulate the police on the arrest of the suspects and encourage them to go all out to bring the rest and other perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law. We also urge citizens to provide any information that will help fish out the rest of the criminals.

This will go a long way to assure citizens, investors and institutions of their security.