IGP Chases Corrupt Officers

The Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanuh has issued new directives to guide police on traffic and highway patrol duties.

The directive is expected to end the era of police extortion and petty bribery on the road.

This time around, the public is required to produce recorded video of corrupt officials as a way of ending the aged long canker within the Service.

Aside this directive, the IGP has also constituted a special task force to conduct “periodic checks” on the roads.

A statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by the Director of Public Affairs Department, ACP David Eklu disclosed that the task force will as part of their work interview drivers and passengers to collect further information on allegations such as unprofessional conduct by police officers.

“The IGP has further directed that to ensure police accountability, especially on the highways, special phone numbers will be announced to enable the public send videos of police misconduct, pictures, WhatsApp text messaged among others on police unprofessional conduct as well as exemplary ones for others to emulate.”

What appears to be the massive innovation by the IGP comes at a time when the public largely views the police as one of the most corrupt institutions in the country.

According to the 2019 Global Corruption Barometer, majority of Ghanaians still perceive the Police Service as the most corrupt institution.

The report reveals that as many as 59% of Ghanaians feel the police service is the most corrupt.

This is followed by judges and magistrates who are seen as the second most corrupt institution by 38% of Ghanaians.

The 2019 corruption perception survey by the Afrobarometer is reminiscent of 2015 figures.

In 2015, for instance, 64% of Ghanaians thought the police were the most corrupt but the figure dropped to 59% in 2018

The survey was executed by Afrobarometer in 34 countries and covered 47,105 adults between 2016 and 2018.

But the new statement said the new directives were in response to numerous complaints from the public about unprofessional conduct of some officers.

The statement, further stated that all highway patrol, traffic, barriers, snap checks and others must be under supervision of Senior Police Officers.

Such senior officers according to the Police Service, “should make themselves readily accessible to the public in order to receive complaints relating to extortions, deliberate delays of motorists, the use of uncivil language as well as publicly making political statements that have the propensity to compromise their neutrality as officers.”

It added that: “The Police administration appeals to the public to give maximum cooperation as far as this exercise is concerned and wish to assure that public that such complaints when received will be expeditiously dealt with.”