Security analyst Dr Kwesi Aning has warned against attacking police officers, saying any such attempt will be dealt with in equal measure.

His warning comes three weeks after some irate residents of Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region set the police station and barracks ablaze over the escape of officers who had allegedly attempted robbing a GCB bullion van and killed its driver.

The incident resulted in the Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor, threatening to withdraw personnel from the town and its surrounding communities.

Speaking to Class News’ Atiewin Mbillah Lawson, Dr Aning noted that although criticism of police misconduct was justified, Ghanaians should be more sympathetic to their plight.

“It is very easy to criticise the Ghana Police Service because they are a frontline institution. They are the people we meet on the roads, they are the people we call when we are in trouble. But were we to take a couple of steps back and to say: ‘How do we as the larger populace also behave, and do we get the kind of institutions that we deserve?’ then probably we will be a little more sympathetic to the police. I mean [standing under] burning sun directing traffic, dusty roads with no nose guard, and were we to ask ourselves how often police officers lose their lives in the course of duty, sometimes intended or unintended or unexpected probably, we will be fairly taken aback,” he stated.

“Let me take this opportunity to send a very clear signal to those who think it has become legitimate to shoot at the police, to attack them, to attack their persons, and to attack their buildings. If you raise your hands against a legitimate force of the state, you will be crushed. I think people have misconstrued the rule of law to mean they can maltreat and abuse statutory security forces; you can’t.

“For me, the suggestion to communities that are displeased with the performance of particular state agencies is to dialogue, but when you lift up arms or you organise mobs to attack them, then you are resisted also by the force of arms. So, while institutions might have weaknesses and difficulties, I think we should all as Ghanaians agree that institutions do matter and, therefore, we will do our best to protect them. Certainly, the Ghana Police Service, being a frontline institution, deserves much more of our sympathy and our support.”