Mr Kojo Asante, Head of Programmes at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD)-Ghana, has criticized the constitutional requirement that makes a sitting Vice President Chairman of the Police Council. Mr Asante said this rendered the Police Council "almost immune to criticism because of the personality involved, and minimises the opportunity for public scrutiny of the work of the Council". He made the critique when delivering a lecture at the launch of a think-tank, African Centre for Development Law and Policy (ACDLP), in Accra on Tuesday. His topic was: "Policing, Security and Development: Challenges and Prospects under Ghana's Fourth Republic". The ACDLP, which will be concentrating on issues of criminal justice reforms, governance, advocacy and human rights, clinical legal education, is hosted by the Law School of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. Mr Asante said just like the Interior and Defence Committees of Parliament, the Council rarely made a public statement or even responded to any questions from the public even though most of the public concerns bordered on security. He said the state should take a long term view of addressing policing issues by strengthening democratic civilian control and eliminate political interference and control for effective policing. "In the context of intense political competition, the police as an independent and impartial enforcer and promoter of civil and political rights are needed now more than ever", he argued. He said incentives such as promotion, transfer and merit-based appointments that beholden the police to politicians must be reviewed, as well as ensure fixed term secured appointments, strengthen oversight responsibility of the Interior and Defence Committees of Parliament. Mr Asante kicked against keeping the police personnel in barracks, saying this was not in tandem with modern-day policing. He proposed that a percentage of government revenue as applicable to district assemblies be put aside for strengthening political and governance institutions, and in this case, the Police Service, to acquire logistics, employ more hands and employ technology such as video cameras to film crime scenes to enhance their work. He noted that to reduce persistent abuse of human rights associated with the police, the service must look seriously at the way in which it assesses the suspicion of crimes and subsequent arrest. Mr Asante commended the police service for the initiative of partnering the citizenry in fighting crime as well as improving the understanding of police activities in the community.