The Director of Police Public Relations, DSP Kwesi Ofori, says efforts by the police not to shield personnel of the service deserve commendation from all and sundry. He told Joy News on Monday that the Ghana Police Service is living up to its reasonability of combating crime in the country, stressing, more importantly that, it is determined to allow the law to take its cause in criminal cases, without giving preference to people and their status. “One thing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) would like to make clear is that, the public and the media should rather commend the police administration for the bold step taken to fight indiscipline and officers who misconduct themselves.” Last week, for instance, the IGP interdicted three police officers for allegedly stealing from an accident victim on the Accra-Tema motorway. The three including a female officer Olivia Asobayere and two others, Maxwell Boapong and Charles Quaye, stole thousands of foreign currency from the accident victim. DSP Kwesi Ofori said aside the interdiction, the three would be severely dealt with, if found culpable. They are under service enquiry bail as both the Police Intelligence and Professional Standard Bureau and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) investigate them. Meanwhile the Chairman of the Police Council, Vice-President John Mahama, will this week launch a five-year strategic plan. The strategic plan is expected to bring a shift in policing. Mr Kwesi Ofori remarked: “Public component will be key in our contemporary policing duties, [police] living under the tenets of the law and promoting human rights in all spheres of our work.” A security expert has commended the leadership of the Ghana Police Service for its effort to define a development agenda for the institute. According to Dr Kwesi Annin, societal changes and future demands make such strategic plan very vital to policing in Ghana. He said this will also help build capacity for the police which has not had a strategic planning since its establishment. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana