Christian Tetteh Yohuno, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has dismantled centralized police communication under the former IGP Dampare.
It will be recalled during the former IGP Dampare’s tenure, police communications were centralized as part of efforts to rationalise information flow and stop miscommunication.
Dampare’s move faced a public backlash with many questioning the move as restricting the work of police officers trained to handle police communications.
Speaking at a workshop for the Ghana Police Service’s public relations officers (PROs), IGP Yohuno stated, “In times when the public demands greater involvement and accountability in our service delivery, a well-tested approach ensures police legitimacy and boosts public confidence.
This is where your significant role as public affairs officers in fostering positive interactions with the public becomes essential and directly impacts police effectiveness.”
He added, “It is on this premise that the current police administration, under my leadership, will reactivate and invite all Regional Police Public affairs offices to re-interact and meet the evolving demands of our society and media partners”.
“Over the years, the media has been a key stakeholder in crime-fighting efforts and has influenced public perceptions of our work in numerous ways. Therefore, it is imperative that our engagement with the media be intentional, professional, and instructive,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Samson Lardi Anyenini, a private legal practitioner in a post on Facebook told the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno to quickly dismantle the centralized police communication.
He asserted that IGP Yohuno must allow those close to the action to be the ones to speak, and not a PR officer sitting in Accra.
Samson Lardi Anyenini further added, that Ghanaians seek information and the officers closer to the action must be allowed to interact and take questions, not just issue statements from Accra.
In a post on Facebook, Samson Lardi Anyenini wrote, “Pray – Dear IGP, quickly dismantle the centralized police communication introduced by Dampare. We did everything, but he refused to change it.
Let those close to the action be the ones to speak, and not a PR officer sitting in Accra, far removed from the issues the people seek information about. Let them interact and take questions, not just issue statements from Accra”, he added.
