The Director-General of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Prosper Ablor, has cautioned police officers against indulging in civil matters, since it is highly unprofessional.
According to Mr. Prosper Ablor, it is common knowledge that some officers take up civil matters involving huge sums of money, under the guise of doing fraud cases, indicating that, �a police officer must be able to distinguish a civil matter from criminal one.� Speaking at the closing ceremony of an in-service training workshop for investigators and detectives under the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Command, COP Prosper Ablor emphasised that police officers were not debt collectors, and must be advised on that.
The Director-General of CID also indicated that some officers were fond of extorting money from suspects before granting them bail, which is unethical, adding that the recent programme to reaffirm public confidence in the police, launched by the police administration, was not a nine day wonder, and that those engaging in such negative practices must put a stop to it before the law catches up with them.
He cautioned detectives to refrain from unlawful arrests and detentions, for those acts constitute human right abuses, adding that torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, and any other conditions that detract or are likely to infringe upon a person�s dignity and worth as a human being.
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Commander, DCOP Maxwell Sakipasgo Atingane, noted that normally, a decision in a criminal trial depended on evidence to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt, and, where such evidence is mistaken, a serious miscarriage of justice may occur, and innocent people may be held for crimes they have not committed. �Hence the purpose of the in-service training to improve personnel knowledge of the Ghana Police Service delivery system,� he noted.
DCOP Atingane continued that oftentimes police personnel have been criticised for brutalising, torturing, or willfully detaining suspects as a form of punishing or subjecting them to various forms of inhuman treatment in the course of apprehending such suspects.
�You must be honest to admit that there have been instances where due to overzealousness or professional indiscretion, some policemen might have resorted to �unreasonable force� to apprehend suspects, to the extent that such suspects become victims of acts of violence and molestation,� he said emphasising that this is unacceptable.
The Regional Commander noted: �Policing is a profession that makes a great demand on the private life, as well as the time of the individual, and, therefore, as policemen, you should know that you are always on duty, and your conduct and behaviour must at all times be above reproach.�
<<Print>>