General News of Thursday, 22 November 2018
Source: adomonline.com
2018-11-22
Chief Inspector (Rtd) Edward Afful
A retired Chief Inspector of Police is suggesting police personnel in the country be made to undergo psychological examinations.
According to Chief Inspector (Rtd) Edward Afful, policing is generally considered a high-risk profession that has the potential for the development of mental health problems.
He made the point while discussing issues of recent breaches of conduct by some men of the service and the call by some senior officers for reforms within the service.
There have been many reports of the brutality of civilians with a recent killing of some seven innocent youth in Manso-Nkwanta in the Ashanti region heightening concerns.
The situation has raised concerns about the state of mind of police personnel deployed to ensure law and order in town.
Many, including senior police officers, have blamed the problem on inadequate professional training for many of these police personnel who enter the service with protocol.
But the retired Inspector on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday said the personnel were not to blame.
He revealed that many of the officers have developed psychological problems and mostly absent-minded even when holding the gun due to frustrations in the system.
Citing himself as an example, Chief Inspector (Rtd) Edward Afful said in his 20 years of service, he used his car as his office and he had no accommodation, adding that he survived only due to his passion for the job.
“The condition of service in the police service is very poor so most police personnel are frustrated and at the least provocation, they react. Every policeman needs a psychologist” he stated.
The retired police officer revealed that he went on voluntary retirement when he got fed up with the frustrations in the noble profession.
Chief Inspector (Rtd) Afful charged the police administration to focus on the well-being of police personnel to give off their best.
Also, the Member of Parliament Manso-Amenfi, Hon. George Arthur, bemoaned the politicization of the police service.
According to him, most police personnel engaged in such unprofessional conducts are mostly those brought in by politicians, chiefs and other notable people in society.
“Most of these police personnel brought in by the police don’t have the passion [for the job] so they engage in all forms of criminality,” he bemoaned.
Hon. Arthur appealed to government to give the police the free hand to operate because most of them have been cowed into submission.