The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare is urging the public to refrain from judging his officers based on historical perceptions.
According to him, his administration has actively improved the country’s security environment and remains committed to further enhancements.
The IGP’s plea comes in response to concerns raised by the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) regarding the frequent attacks by armed robbers on fuel stations nationwide forcing them to close prematurely.
In a meeting with the IGP, the Chairman of the OMCs, Kwaku Agyemang-Duah stressed that if the situation is not swiftly addressed, it will impact negatively on the economy due to lost productive working hours.
According to him, there used to be a 24-hour service at fuel filling stations sometime back, but now, various stations operate between 12 hours of service due to fear of being attacked by armed robbers.
“In some places it is 9 pm, in others it’s 10 pm so we stagger around and sometimes it’s at the mercy of our customers. And some people even need fuel to send people to hospital. They can’t even get fuel because we have close, we fear for our lives,” he said.
Mr Agyemang-Duah noted that the OMCs have about 4,000 outlets in the country, empahsisng that the population has not stopped growing and there is the need to make sure that they operate a 24-hour service to serve every individual who needs fuel.
He outlined a renewed strategy for the OMCs, expressing a willingness to collaborate with the Inspector General of Police and his team to ensure safety at fuel stations.
In response, Dr. Dampare acknowledged the gravity of the situation and assured the business community of a revised strategy to combat criminal activities.
According to him, his administration is aware that in the past, the environment used to experience a lot of security challenges.
In a sincere plea, Dr. Dampare urged the public not to judge the police solely based on historical shortcomings.
“And it is only the appearance or the presence of these two that will let you know when you are wrong and when you are right so that you keep doing what is right and learn from your mistakes. Improve upon it and become better. That is the policy we want to offer you. Don’t judge us anymore by our past,” he pleaded.
The IGP emphasised that he is working in concert with his colleagues and commanders across the country and police officers at every corner of the country, “including the initiative that we came up where police officers were virtually on a daily basis throughout the day, visiting all your stations across the country, engaging your officers as they work.”
Dr Dampare indicated that his outfit has been able to stem the tide to an appreciable extent, emphasising the need to put in more effort to clamp down on robbery incidents in the country.
The IGP encouraged open communication and expressed a commitment to learning, evolving, and fostering a police force that prioritises accountability.
“We want to become better because, like we said, as we sit again, we have developed a consciousness of having a great sense of guilt and a great sense of shame,” the IGP stated.