The Inspector General of the Ghana Police, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye on Thursday said majority of policemen in the country were decent, committed and devoted to ensuring peace in the country.

He noted that over the years, the Ghana Police Service had attracted and continued to attract unwarranted comments from the general public as a result of the shameful and disgraceful acts perpetrated by some personnel, saying the image of an organization was a vital motivational mechanism for improved performance.

Mr. Tawiah Quaye was speaking at a regional familiarization forum in Bolgatanga, organised to interact with officers and men in the region to obtain first hand information on prevailing conditions within the service.

The forum also served as a platform to sensitize the service personnel on major policy initiatives for their successful implementation.

He indicated that, the police administration under his leadership had initiated an image cleansing policy to fight corruption and eliminate all image tarnishing vices and their associated perpetrators in the service, “...dignified and well-respected workers create a positive reflection on the organization they belong to”, he added.

“We shall continue to ‘name and shame’ all personnel who out of greed and avarice engage in reprehensible acts that adversely affect the image of the service”, he warned.

According to the IGP, the responsibility of redeeming the sinking image of the service, laid on the majority of personnel who act professionally to effectively partner the police administration in the crusade to weed out the few recalcitrant ones disgracing the service.

“Through honesty, objectivity and collective efforts, we can do it by taking our destiny into our hands and work assiduously to redeem our waning image”

Mr. Tawiah Quaye stated that the police service was embarking on a journey into the future “that required a paradigm shift as result oriented institutional changes could not materialize without well resourced, well trained, well motivated and well-structured police service.”

He commended the police personnel in the region for their initiatives, commitment and resilience as well as the collaborated efforts at dealing with violent crimes and the maintenance of law and order in the region.

The Upper East Regional police commander, DCOP Bright Oduro noted that, the region had in recent times experienced a low level of crime and security situations compared to previous years.

He indicated that between May 2011 and May 2012, there had been a significant reduction in crime related cases. In 2011, 714 cases of assault were recorded against 424 cases this year. In the same year, stealing cases reduced from 578 in 2011 to 295 cases during the same period this year. Threat of death cases in 2011 was 101 as against 54 cases in May 2012.

However, there was a slight increase in the number of robbery and murder cases recorded. Four robbery cases were recorded in 2011 and seven cases in 2012. Eight murder cases were recorded in 2011 while 16 cases were recorded in May this year.

DCOP Oduro added that most of the cases were recorded in Bolgatanga, adding that, day and night patrols had been intensified in the Bolgatanga and Bawku Municipalities to contain the situation. **