The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has launched an enhanced visibility and community policing strategy as an effort to leverage on local knowledge to combat crime and keep the public safe.
The strategy was launched in Accra yesterday by the Director-General of the National Patrol Department, Commission of Police (COP) Paul Manly, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
According to COP Manly, the strategy was to move away from the rhetoric that security was a shared responsibility, to actually involve or collaborate with the public in preventing and fighting crime to make the communities safer.
He said the police would be engaging neighbourhood watch committees, resident associations, community protection assistants, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to make the strategy a reality.
COP Manly added that the strategy’s main goal was crime prevention campaigns in partnership with the relevant stakeholders, adding: “It will ensure that the police work more collaboratively with opinion leader and state agencies to collectively ensure law, order and security in communities.”
The senior police officer noted that the police envisaged the strategy as a comprehensive plan to move a step closer to the public, in order to flush out crime and anti-social behaviours that affect their daily lives.
“Building on past community policing experiences in Ghana and best practices, this enhanced strategy emphasis the need for police to collaborate with the public to identify, prioritise, and address their concerns. The strategy stresses the need for an improved police visibility in neighbourhoods,” he said.
The Director-General of the National Patrol Department added that the community policing teams would be set up for day and night patrols of smaller defined areas within a police district to be known as “Zones.”
He indicated that the community policing teams would develop quality relations and rapport with residents and build trust in the communities.
“In the past decade, the community policing concept has made significant contribution to crime fighting efforts in the country. Several police community initiatives were adopted in various communities to complement the traditional policing methods.”
COP Manly continued that the strategy would incorporates key elements Community Crime Fighting and Removal of fear of Crime Initiative, since the District Commanders, which would be pioneering the strategy, would be required to develop security and crime prevention plans with stakeholder in their respective jurisdiction.
He stressed that the strategy would be a roadmap and an important element for police accountability locally. According to him, the police had acquired motorbikes in effort of this initiative.
The strategy was developed based on research, consultation with police officers, a team of consultants and community policing experts including not serving and retired police officers as well as external experts, in producing the working document.
