The Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akuffo Dampare, has said his outfit will not accept the corruption tag labeled against them, in recent surveys conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and its partners, as well as Afrobarometer report, which placed them top of the corruption index.
The GSS survey indicated that more than 17.4 million bribes were paid in 2021, with police officers topping the list of officials who take bribes at 53.2%.
But the IGP Dr. Akuffo Dampare has, for the second time, debunked the claim made in the report, saying “we will never accept the tag that we are the most corrupt institution”.
Speaking at a public lecture under the theme, “The changing Phase of Policing in Ghana: Expectations and the Role of the University Community” in Kumasi yesterday, which was monitored via facebook by this reporter, he noted that at the appropriate time his outfit will respond to the tag of corruption on them, which makes them feel uncomfortable in their line of duty.
He further added that from the public view on the police service, they have lost confidence, trust, respect and legitimacy. This, he said, his outfit is working hard to make the police institution attractive to the people again.
He continued that the Police Service will create an environment where there is recognition, reward, punishment and transparency, where those who do the right thing will have promotion to encourage others to do same.
He also disclosed that his outfit is looking at a period where the police will have a virtual police station, where individuals can easily report virtually and suspects also contacted virtually.
“We are looking up to a period where we will have a virtual police station, where you need not physically go to the police station but just send your information to the station and all the suspects will be contacted virtually”.
Dr. Dampare said his outfit is doing all these in order to keep the public safe and to indicate that they (police) are overly committed in leading the country. He, therefore, called on the public to support the police in carrying out its mandate.
“The Police will always be there for the people, we are going to work together to continue to sustain the peace of this country in such a way that all of us will be able to live peacefully in the country and that will be the greatest honour to our forebears, who kept the peace for us to come and inherit and enjoy”, he added.
With this in mind, Dr. Dampare added that when he and some of his colleagues took office, they decided to put in place pragmatic policing intervention to build on the good work done by their predecessors, so that the peace and the stability of the country will be sustained.
The Inspector General of Police also assured that all persons who are involved in any corrupt act will be brought to book no matter how long it takes.
