The Ghana Police Service, as part of its strategic plans, has initiated processes to construct an ultra-modern facility for archival collections and records keeping.

Mr David Asante-Apeatu, the Acting Inspector General of Police, said the facility would enhance effectiveness and efficiency in carrying the service function as well as prevent delays in retrieving vital documents.

He expressed the Service’s commitment to adopting digital technology to prevent the loss of vital and timely information and make access to information less strenuous.

The Acting IGP said this in Accra at the closing ceremony of a two-week training course on Archival Studies and Records Management for 20 personnel of the Ghana Police Service.

The training was organised by the Service in collaboration with the Information Studies Department of the University of Ghana and the Public Records and Archives Administration Department.

Participants were taken through topics such as Records Management, Information as an Organisation’s Resource, Storage and Records Centre, Electronic Records Management, Vital Records Protection, Planning and Preparing for Disaster, Archives Legislation, and Professional Ethics.

“These topics are important in oiling the wheels of a huge bureaucracy like the Police Service to ensure that the administration functions effectively within the framework of time consciousness,” he said.

Mr Asante-Apeatu said the course would steer the service towards the vision of becoming a world-class police service capable of delivering planned, democratic, protective and peaceful services to meet international standards.

He expressed concern about the bad information systems at various public sector institutions including the Police Service which impedes court processes and justice delivery and creates huge but avoidable conflicts in land litigations.

He urged participants to put into use the knowledge gained and improve their performance in ensuring that document and information are secured, safe, confidential, reduction in access times, misclassification and theft.

Dr Emmanuel Adjei, the Head of Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana, said transparency and accountability in a democratic society would ultimately be achieved by giving the public the right to access to information through effective record management.

“Sound records management was essential to conduct office business and make public administration more effective and efficient since it was one of the pillars of good public management because government activities are based on access to information,” he said.

He said record keeping should be given priority by the police service to enhance service delivery.