JICA supports 30 Police personnel from the five regions of the North, to undergo training of trainers on enhanced Community Policing mechanism in Tamale

Thirty senior and mid-carrier police personal selected from various commands in the five regions of the North are undergoing nine (9) days training of trainers (ToT) on enhanced Community Policing mechanisms in Tamale.

The capacity building on community policing mechanism for the Ghana Police Service is under the auspices of CSD Reform, an NGO with funding from the Japanese International Co-operation Agency, (JICA).

The training forms part of the broader objective of JICA to support government institutions such as the police by strengthening their capacities in promoting effective police-community collaboration, early detection and prevention of crime, conflict resolution and mediation, trust building and accountability as well as inclusive community participation in policing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony and launch of the project, the Director General, National Patrol Directorate of the Police Service, Commissioner of Police (CoP) Mohamed Fuseini Suraji said the initiative wasn’t merely a training exercise, but a strategic investment that seeks to enhance the operational effectiveness of the police, deepen public trust and foster sustainable partnership between the police and the communities it serves.

According to him, the Inspector General of Police attaches great importance to the community policing concept.

“The IGP’s vision is clear; policing must not be distant or reactive, it must be proactive, accessible and rooted within the communities themselves. Policing must be brought to the doorstep of the people we serve,” he remarked.

CoP Suraji tasked the trainers to be change agents whose efforts should directly influence the quality of policing in their respective jurisdictions, by replicating, adapting and implementing the knowledge gained with professionalism and dedication.

He commended JICA for being a long standing and reliable partner to the police, particularly in exchange programmes, which has ensured open learning and adoption of best practices.

Chief Representative at JICA, Ghana Country office, Momoko Suzuki in an address, mentioned Japan’s support to Ghana in areas of agricultural value chain and improvement of essential health systems.

She however stated that evolving challenges particularly in northern Ghana and the broader Sahel sub-region thus calls for innovative community centered approaches to policing, which offers a strategic response to building trust, proactive engagement and collaboration between the police and the communities.

Madam Suzuki said the new in-country training program by JICA marks dedicated support for advancing community policing in the country among these are; 9 police officers from Ghana travelling to Japan for a training on community policing, since 2017.

The chief JICA Representative said JICA intends to continue supporting the Community Policing in Ghana up till 2027, by working closely with the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders.

For her part, the Director of Community Policing, ACP Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda said the training was designed to equip selected officers with skills knowledge and methods needed to train others, sustain best practices and ensure that long-tern institutionalization of community policing within the Ghana Police Service.

According to ACP Tehoda the training was significant and strategic considering the emerging threats in the northern parts of the country.

“Community policing provides a tested and practical framework for addressing these challengesthrough partnership, dialogue and shared responsibility,” she added.

ACP Tehoda said the Police Service expect the trainers to return as a force multiplier, capable of transforming knowledge into action and action into sustainable change saying “when Police and the community work together, crime reduces, trust increases and peace becomes sustainable.”

Earlier, in his welcoming address, Northern regional Police Commander DCoP Wisdom Lavoe remarked that modern policing extends beyond enforcement, thus requires partnership, empathy and the ability to work closely with citizens to prevent crime and promote peace.

He also tasked the trainers to embrace innovative approaches and translate the knowledge acquired into practical impact within their respective commands,

The paramount chief of Sanarigu traditional area in a message read for him by Naa Yab’ Dugshegu Lana opined that community policing aligned with traditional rulers roles as custodians of the lands and cultures. He thereby called for more partnership that place community at the centre of everything that is done to ensuring that sustaining development is achieved.

There were fraternal messages from development partners including the Northern region’s Peace Council, Coginta and other stakeholder representatives.

Story By: Nelson Adanuti Nyadror |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.