Accra, June 15, GNA - Public Relations Officers from the Ghana Polic e Service on Tuesday began a four-day training programme to come out with strategies towards the implementation of the five-year strategic and national policing plan.

Thirty PROs from Police regional offices are attending the programme

under the theme: "The Role of the Media in Implementation of the Strategi c National Policing Plan" and being sponsored by the British High Commissio n. Topics to be treated include "Strategic national plan," "Media landscape in Ghana," "Modern Strategies of policing," "Capacity of Public

Relations," "Current Media Policy of the Police and Ways of improving Pol ice Image".

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said implementation of the plan was to increase public confidence and satisfaction in their operations.

He said increasing public support was a daunting task that required innovative public relations roles. Mr Alhassan said; "Success in the implementation of the strategic pl an would depend on how we market the plan and how we sustain the momentum af ter the projects and programmes have taken off". "Being a nationwide plan, the Public Affairs Directorate is expected to play an indispensable role of disseminating relevant information through the media across the country in a coordinated and timely manner," he added. Mr Alhassan said in addition to the training programme, a change management team had been instituted to ensure that the new strategies for

change in the strategic plan were actualised.

This includes a rigorous sensitisation programme to sensitise vario us stakeholders, police commanders and key position officers on their expect ant roles and inputs in the implementation of the plan. He announced that the Police Administration would soon commence the

training of cadet officers at the Police College to be commissioned into the senior officer rank as well as recruitment and training to beef up the current personnel strength.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kwasi Ofori, Director of Police Pub lic Affairs Directorate, said the training would help officers to identify challenges, antidotes and develop a working plan to win public support an d goodwill. Mr Matthew Johnson, Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana, was hopeful that the training would enhance Ghana's law enforcement capabilities, improve the Police Services' crime-fighting efforts and cri me prevention capabilities. "It has the potential to allow the Service to demonstrate its value to society, explaining the important role it plays and showing how it uses i ts resources and why it needs more," he added.