Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Director-General of Administration at the Ghana Police, has rallied school children to participate in shaping the future of policing in Ghana.
Speaking at an event organized as part of the “Catch them young” initiative by IGP George Akuffo Dampare, at Nyamekrom in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, COP Yohuno emphasized the importance of their input in building a police service they would aspire to join.
Addressing hundreds of pupils from the New Juaben South and parts of Akuapem North, COP Tetteh Yohuno encouraged them to share their observations and insights regarding the police and the quality of services rendered to the public.
He urged them to highlight areas where improvement is needed, assuring them that their feedback would be valued and acted upon to enhance police performance.
“We will listen to you whatever you have, whatever is worrying you about the police. Things we are doing wrong, all the things you have heard about us, which you don’t like. We want to hear things which are not fruitful to the society and together with you we will be able to fix so that together with you we transform the Police service to become the best in the whole Africa and a reference point in the whole world, so that you will feel proud to be called a police officer so that when we leave you are going to be the commissioners you see today and you are going to be the IGP you see today,” stated COP Tetteh Yohuno.
He further urged the children to report anyone attempting to lure them into criminal activities, stating the importance of maintaining integrity and resisting negative influences.
“Any friend or any person who wants to use you to commit crime. Who will tell you let’s go and smoke Indian hemp. Who will tell you to go and steal somebody’s money report the person to police,” added COP Tetteh Yohuno.
In response, the school children expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to engage with the police and raised pertinent concerns ranging from perceptions of corruption within the police service to the use of brute force in addressing security challenges.
Assistant Commissioner Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, highlighted the positive impact of the “Catch them young” initiative, emphasizing its role in fostering positive relationships between law enforcement agencies and young individuals.
Meanwhile, Mustapha Haruna, New Juaben South Municipal Education Director, made a passionate appeal to the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, and the Police Management Board to enhance visibility in schools at night and especially weekends to curb rising cases of break-ins and thefts in schools.
“So as a municipality, it is an appeal to the Ghana Police Service. There’s something that is disturbing the school children in our schools. We have 52 schools, out of these 52 schools, 47 are basic schools. We have one stand-alone KG, the rest are primary stand-alone. The issue that we have among these schools, we want to appeal to the police commander, we’ll close from school and go home and come back the next morning, some of the locks are broken, it is a bother to us. Our lighting system affected, they steal our wires and meters “said Mr. Mustapha Haruna.
In attendance were other commissioners and members of the Police Management Board.
The pupils and their teachers were served with sumptuous meals and drinks.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
