The Ghana Police Service lost ten officers in the line of duty in 2014 at the hands of criminals. The Service in honouring its officers who are killed in the line of their work, has instituted a Martyr’s Day

According to the Inspector General of Police who made this revelation at the inauguration of the martyr’s day at the police training centre in Accra, said the day is to “honour the past and shape the future” and also pay homage to officers who died in the course of duty.

The Ghana police service is undoubtedly an embodiment of brave and courageous men and women who are in constant battle with armed gangs who have already shot dead six out of the ten deceased officers.

Director-general of planning and ICT David Asante-Apeatu of the Ghana Police Service, despite these risks to officers lives, says, “fear of casualties will not deter us from doing what needs to be done, rooting out criminals and threats wherever they are.”

The service, according to the IGP, lost nine of its men in 2013 under similar circumstance and so used the occasion to pay homage to its “forgotten heroes”.

DSP Cephas Arthur, Director of Police Public Affairs says, the institutionalization of the Martyr’s Day will go a long way to boost the morale of officers to do more.

Answering questions on whether or not the attack on officers will change the mode of operations of the police service, the director of public affairs at the police service says “ that will no way change the mode of operations of the service and in fact, it will rather help the service to be proactive by keeping officers safe.”

There is no doubt that the discharge of police duties brings a trail of casualties, and Deputy Minister of interior, James Agalga says, “government can only support the inventiveness by the Inspector General of Police by helping to build a memorial for the fallen heroes”.