Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, has given credence to the long held perception that police officers dispatched to enforce motor traffic regulations on the road often end up extorting money from motorists.
The Regional Commander made the statement when he re-launched the Police Confidence Reaffirmation Campaign that seeks to redeem the tarnished image of the service by expunging unprofessionalism from the service.
Speaking at the event with District Police Commanders at the Ashanti Region’s Police Training School at Patasi in Kumasi, DCOP Boakye urged his officers particularly those under the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), to live up to expectation in the spirit of the Police Confidence Reaffirmation Campaign or face sanctions.
“These include excessive use of force, illegal detention of suspects, settling personal scores, keeping suspects and prisoners in the same cells, malicious prosecutions, and unlawful arrests.” DCOP Kofi Boakye expressed worry that such activities really “embarrassed and at worst scandalized the police service as a whole.”
On extortion of money from civilians he spoke on authority that “I must state here and now that most of the MTTD officers are really embarrassing police service and in Kumasi here we have made up our minds that if anyone reports of any bribery incident we will deal with it to the latter.”
DCOP Kofi Boakye in his final remarks urged the civilians to also refrain from paying bribes as both the giver and the taker were liable for the offense.
He also gave assurances that the police was also going to root out other corrupt practices in the areas of nepotism and favoritism and the so called “big men” interference in police activities.