Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has cautioned police officers against abusing their authority, saying the new security resources being provided by the government must never be used to intimidate citizens.
Speaking at the commissioning of 40 armoured vehicles for the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, December 4, the Minister said the investment was meant to improve public safety and officer protection, not to give room for excesses.
“These resources and the trust reposed in you are not licences for intimidation or excesses. They are instruments of protection and not oppression.”
He reminded officers of the responsibility that comes with policing. “You are not to use your authority to abuse the various citizens you have sworn to protect. You are guardians of the Republic, not rulers of it. Professionalism, discipline, integrity and respect must define your service every single day.”
The Minister said the public expected fairness from the police and would judge them by their conduct. “The citizens look up to you not only for safety but for fairness. They judge you and your leaders by your conduct on the ground. I urge you to let your actions reflect the pride of this uniform, the honour of your oath and the value that distinguishes the Ghana Police Service.”
The Minister added that the new armoured vehicles should help officers improve service delivery. “Let this new fleet of armoured vehicles empower you not to dominate but to serve better, respond faster and protect more effectively,” he said.
He explained that the Ministry would work closely with the Police Administration to ensure strategic deployment of the vehicles. He said they would be assigned based on security data and operational needs.
“Some will support high crime zones, others will reinforce highway patrol, others will be integrated into rapid response teams and special operations. Deployment will be guided by intelligence, operational need, and proper chain of command,” he said.
He mentioned the shift towards technology-driven policing, pointing to the real-time crime centre being developed under the Inspector-General of Police.
“We are moving towards a policing model that is predictive, data-driven and technology-enabled. In this new era, crime will be confronted not only with courage, but with smart intelligence and modern tools,” he said.
The Minister sent a message out to criminal networks, warning that. “Your time is up. The state is prepared. The police are prepared. The tools are ready. The intelligence is improving. And the public is increasingly vigilant,” he said.