A security analyst Professor Kwesi Aning says it will be challenging to make impactful reforms to get the Ghana Police Service better.
According to him, efforts to tackle the challenges in the Service and improve its professionalism will be a 'long-nasty-difficult battle'.
In an interview with Winston Amoah, host of Joy FM's Super Morning Show, on Wednesday, he noted that there are some elements in the Service whose presence is having a negative impact on the country.
This is he said, will affect the attempts by the Inspector General of Police, to transform the Service.
"There are people in the Police Service who for years, have had a free run, intimidated people, consulted with all kinds of people who ought to have been in prison.
"There are cases of officers renting out guns and their uniforms [to criminals]. So we have that and other things happening in the Service irrespective of the rhetoric from around 2016 and 2017 that we want a Police Service that is world class and introducing a strategic plan.
"But within the Service itself, there are people who have not bought into this idea. And that raises further questions about how some of these individuals got into the Service.
"So this is a much broader discussion about professional behaviour, leadership, the role of Parliament (because they have the overall oversight), and the quality and nature of political direction," he said.
Professor Aning made these remarks while, expressing his opinions on the ongoing disturbances between the Police and the youth of Nkoranza.
In his submissions, he noted that, the recent turn of events in the community, raises question about the credibility and professionalism of the Police in the discharge of their responsibilities.
According to the analyst, the shooting of Albert Donkor, by the Police is an evidence of the trigger happy posture of some personnel within the Service; an act which must be looked that.
He explained that the situation, where Police officers resort to force and unprovoked violence in dealing with the public, must be addressed in order to boost public confidence in the Police. He revealed that, his outfit is conducting a research in that regard.
The youth of Nkoranza in the Bono East Region have been on a rampage as they attacked the Municipal Police headquarters, demanding justice for Albert Donkor, a 28-year-old trader who was allegedly killed while in Police custody.
The protesters freed six other suspects picked up by the Police as armed robbers and the deceased.
According to Joy News’ Ohemeng Tawiah, there was total chaos at the Police Station as the youth protested the tagging and subsequent killing of the deceased.
They said the deceased is not an armed robber, demanding that those who killed him in custody must answer.
In expressing their anger, the youth destroyed vehicles parked at the Municipal Police headquarters before the reinforcement team arrived to maintain peace and order.
Following this development, the Police have beefed up security in the community, to forestall further mayhem.
Speaking with Paa Kwesi Schandorf on the AM News, JoyNews’ Ohemeng Tawiah disclosed that the Police have increased their visibility in the area as of Wednesday morning.
He however noted, that he cannot predict the next action of the irate youth who have vowed to seek justice for their departed colleague.
“It’s a normal day, as it’s a normal day anywhere in any part of the country, just that the difference here in Nkoranza township is the fact that there’s increased Police presence on the main streets of Nkoranza.
"You can’t predict the youth that probably with the presence of the Police and the military team here, that should put the issue to rest.
"Let me also confirm that even when the Police reinforcement team arrived from Techiman, the youth would not even budge.
"They faced the Police team squarely by throwing stones whiles the Police team also fired warning shots and live rubber bullets on them. They were not perturbed. They continued to still their grounds to face the Police officers.
"So for you to suggest that, probably because of the presence of the Police-military team, that should put the story to rest, it will be too early to be considering and talking about that”.
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