The Director General of Administration, Ghana Police Service COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, says the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has introduced a paradigm shift in recruit training modules and curriculum of the Police administration.

He said emerging crimes, terrorism, cyber related crimes, new policing challenges and changes in the modus operandi of criminals are some of the issues confronting the service.

COP Yohuno said the IGP has therefore standardized recruit training modules and restructured recruit training activities with expanded improved facilities focusing on field training with practical attachment to gain field experience under close supervision of cadet officers.

“Hitherto, the emphasis was mainly on enhancement of recruits knowledge on the laws they are expected to enforce when they pass out.But now ,equal emphasis is placed on field training activities such as riding , driving, swimming, crowd control, incident and disaster management, crime scene management, traffic management, radio communication, intelligence gathering, community based patrols ,charge office management, access control ,arrest and search procedures, use of force procedures ,human rights, clients care and professional police ethics, tactical progression ,weapon handling and high risk operation,” COP Tetteh Yohuno announced.

COP Yohuno whilst commending GIZ for sponsoring the recruit training curriculum reforms ,also acknowledged West Africa Program to Combat AIDS and STI (WAPCAS) for partnering the Police administration to develop e-learning platform to enhance training of recruits and personnel on modern policing methods and procedures, human right protection, investigative techniques and procedures.

COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno said this in Koforidua while addressing the passing out parade of 416 Police recruits made up of 50 under cadets from the Koforidua Police training school.

He stressed that the graduands were “exposed to practical policing at the training school, made to perform one month field(practical) duties ,snap checks, public order management, and patrol duties in various communities, some were also attached to the criminal investigation Department (CID) and the charge offices to be abreast with what awaits them”.

The recruits were also sent to High Risk Operation training school formerly Counter -Terrorism Enactment and concentration center at Huhunya in Yilo Krobo municipality for basic training in repelling, mountaineering, jumping from moving vehicles, firing from speeding vehicle ,suppress target ,and host of tactical training to equip them with requisite skills to help anti-terrorism efforts by the Police service.

COP Tetteh Yohuno advised the graduands that “if gold are to rust, what then becomes of iron” to caution them that the police administration is weeding out from the service, miscreants and criminals masquerading in police uniforms.

He therefore warned them to desist from bribery, extortion, violent crimes and any other unethical conducts in order to scape the sword.

General Recruit Collins Ahenkorah of Koforidua Police Training School emerged overall best recruit and also National best recruit having placed first in the National Recruits standardized Examination.

Present at the passing out parade were Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Police Commander DCOP Anderson Fosu- Ackah .

Source :Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah