The University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Ghana Police Service have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to run a Postgraduate Diploma programme in Security Studies.
The programme, which would be hosted at the Police Academy in Accra, aims at upgrading the knowledge of personnel of the service in security issues, enhance their performance and improve service delivery.
Quality Training
Speaking at the signing of the MoU which coincided with the opening ceremony of the Cadet Officers Course 50 in Accra, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, noted that UCC as an equal opportunity university would continue to partner with the Ghana Police Service to provide quality training to its personnel.
Prof. Boampong stated that the collaboration between the two institutions would equip police officers to be highly skilled, competent and professionals in security activities and thereby enhance peace and security in the country.
Collaboration
Touching on the already existing collaboration between UCC and the Ghana Police Service, Professor Boampong indicated that the University had already signed a similar MoU with the Ghana Police Service to run a Certificate in Forensic Sciences Programme for personnel of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Service to enhance their skills and competence to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.
Academic Programmes for Police Training Institutions
The Vice-Chancellor was hopeful that the collaboration would lead to the introduction of more academic programmes for personnel of the service.
“It is my hope that with the successful commencement of this programme, immediate steps will be taken to develop curricula in MBA/MSC/MPhil in Security and Peace Studies at the Staff and Command College as well as Diploma in Security Studies for the training of recruits at the various Police Training Institutions,” he noted.
Monitoring and Feedback
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, who signed the MoU on behalf of the Service indicated that the Police Administration would continue to monitor the progress of the programme to ensure that it was successfully executed to achieve its objectives.
“Effective monitoring and feedback mechanisms have been put in place to ensure the timely response to concerns at the training,” he intimated.
Mr Oppong- Boanuh explained that the programme would be organised in three phases with a blend of traditional police subject areas, academic courses to be handled by UCC, and practical courses on Contemporary Policing.
Capacity Building
The IGP explained that the partnership formed part of the Police Academy Training and Curriculum Review Committee’s recommendations established in 2020 to affiliate the Academy to a University to add value to the certificate of participants at the end of the course.
Mr Oppong-Boanuh said the partnership would enable graduates from the Academy to use the acquired certificate to pursue further studies in the future and also provide avenues to enter into other viable ventures.
“The collaboration is part of the Police’s strategic plans to build the capacity of personnel and improve training in line with international standards and best practices and also meet the expectation of the citizenry in security issues,” he said.
Be Responsible
The IGP urged the pioneer class of the programme to be responsible and take the programme serious to build their capacities in order to offer quality service to the country.
“Let discipline, discernment, dedication, and commitment remain your hallmark in order to complete the course successfully. You must be able to think outside the box in your duties as Senior Police Officers,” he entreated them.
Advice
Mr Oppong-Boanuh advised the officers to obverse the COVID-19 safety protocols seriously and adhere to the guidelines provided by health professionals to prevent infections and spread of the virus at the training course.
The pioneer class of the programme is made up of 112 senior officers comprising 99 men and 13 women.