Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogho, has advised the Ghana Police Service to tread cautiously when dealing with civilians.
Reacting to the arrest and manhandling of the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protestors on Adom TV’s morning show, Badwam he stated that, such unprofessional acts can strain the relationship between citizens and police officers.
He explained that, the success of the police solely depends on intelligence from civilians.
“We must redefine the role of the police in our Constitution. The name was changed from the police force because they were being physical. It was changed to police service to encourage a cordial relationship between officers and citizens.
Their progress depends on information from citizens. Most police officers now live outside the barracks, so it shouldn’t happen that the police become enemies of citizens. The police are not supposed to give permission; according to the Public Order Act, their job is to protect civilians,” he said.
Alhaji Sorogo cited a protest against the police in the 1970s organised by tertiary students over the alleged murder of a University of Ghana (UG) student to buttress his point.
He said students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Cape Coast joined UG and took to the streets to express their frustrations.
According to him, police officers were gripped with fear and couldn’t step out in their uniforms.
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