Ghanaians challenged to support police with resources

Ghanaians have been challenged to support the Ghana police service with resources after two police officers were shot at on Thursday at Lapaz, Accra.

The Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, in a rare interview revealed that his men are ill equipped.

READ MORE: IGP admits police officers are poorly equipped
But security expert Kwesi Anning is appealing Ghanaians to see the IGP’s comments as “a passionate and desperate appeal for help and support.”
He decried support alcohol related activities get funding but none wants to fund security.

He said: “Almost everything that is for fun, which relates to alcohol, we will get someone to fund but nobody wants to fund security.
“Nobody wants to put a little bit of money into funding the Ghana Police Service and if we don’t take this appeal seriously, we will witness desperate individuals, criminal networks and gangs well-armed, willing and prepared to fight the Police Service and to say life is not worth living anyway.
“So I will commit a crime and I am willing and prepared to take up arms against those who will represent authorities of the state and when we reach that point, then I can think we are getting into extremely dangerous waters and I think we are almost on the verge of collapse.”
Asked the kind of support the police may require from citizens, the security expert said it does not have to be “necessarily be big money.”
He said “It can also be just morale boosters.
READ MORE:Lapaz Shooting One police officer confirmed dead
He added: “A simple word of encouragement, a simple signal, but even more important is the sharing of sensitive or proactive information.
“Criminals live within our community. People know them, they hire rooms, they behave in funny ways, people visit them at odd hours.
“Can we find a casting and labelling relationship in which ordinary people can share this information, but it also means it is contingent on the service to also behave in a manner that also generates this trust and embellishes people’s desire to share this information.”