Tema, May 17, GNA - The Director of the Community Policing Unit (CPU) of the Ghana Police Service has appealed to personnel to embrace the community policing concept to ensure preventive policing. Deputy Commissioner of Police Mina Ayim said it was about time Ghana moved away from the traditional reactive policing.

She said this when she interacted with senior police officers in the Tema Region to re-orient them on activities of the Unit, the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau. DCOP Ayim said the reactive method of policing was inadequate to cater for the increasing sophisticated crimes recorded in the country. She said the concept of community policing sought to involve members of the community to share in the responsibility of ensuring their safety and security.

Chief Superintendent Alhaji Swaraj Ahmed, the Deputy Director of the CPU, said his sought to bridge the communication gap between the police and the community by ensuring that officials worked hand-in-hand with community members and other stakeholders. He said stakeholders such as religious groups, residents associations, banks, shop keepers and others should be consulted by personnel to ensure free flow of credible information. Alhaji Ahmed said negative behaviour such as police insensitivity, arrogance and extortion of money from motorists had deepened the gap between the police and the public.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Edith Gaanu from PIPS said her outfit was mandated to enforce discipline, check malfeasance, and investigate complaints against police personnel.