As four police officers are about to be arraigned for exhorting money from drivers in the national capital of Accra, ten of their colleagues in the northern sector are all also in hot waters. The affected police officers, whose names were not disclosed, stand to be sanctioned for absenting themselves from a refresher course organized by the Police Administration for some selected police cops. The Police Administration budgeted for 150 police corporals, lance corporals and constables to attend a two-week capacity building programme at the Police Depot at Patase in Kumasi which ended on Friday. But instead, only 140 police officers attended the programme which was aimed at equipping the participants with professional and modern policing techniques to enhance their performance. DCOP Patrick Timbillah, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, said those police officers who would fail to give genuine excuses for refusing to attend the programme would not be spared but would be dealt with accordingly. “The Police Administration will soon query the 10 absentees and anyone that is found culpable will not be spared. In fact, they would be dealt with according to the laws of the police,” he cautioned, refusing to throw more light on the likely sanctions to be applied. This decision, he noted, was part of the Police Administration’s resolve to stem out all forms of indiscipline and bad practices among the men in black and promote professionalism in police officers cross the country so as to heal their tarnished image. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the educative programme, DCOP Timbillah urged police officers to avail themselves for any event or programme, notably refresher courses, that would be rolled out by the Police Administration to access its benefits. The Ashanti Regional Police Commander sternly stated that no erring police officer would be shielded henceforth, pointing at the recent arrest of four police officers in Accra for collecting bribes to buttress his claim. He described capacity building as the major tool that the police can use to deliver professional services to society, thereby winning the support and confidence of the public to expedite crime prevention and control. Crime prevention, DCOP Timbillah observed, was no more the preserve of the police but the collective responsibility of the police and the public, urging his colleagues to display commendable output to win the support and co-operation of all and sundry. The Police Capo entreated police officers to act just as their colleagues in the advanced countries like Japan are doing, adding, “In this global world, police officers in every country are supposed to act just the same.” He bewailed that some police officers lacked confidence, especially in public places and this was giving adverse effects on their performance, imploring police officers to perform their duties in devotedly at all times. However, DCOP Timbillah was quick to remind police officers about the need for them to respect the law even in the course of performing their legal duties to avert finding themselves in trouble. The participants, picked from the northern sector of the country, were tutored in courses such as Criminal Law, Communication Skills, Police Procedure, First Aid and Confidence Building. They were also lectured in Community Policing, Human Rights, Leadership Skills, Traffic Management, Democratic Policing and Administration. On behalf of the participants, PW Corporal Naomi Fordjour appealed to the Police Administration to constantly come out with educative programmes like this to enhance their knowledge. Promising to put what they have learnt into practice, she also called for extension of the duration of the course from two to three weeks in future to help participants get ample time to thoroughly understand the topics treated. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana