samples of the new uniforms
The Ghana Police Service (GPS) is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to inject professionalism into the operations of private security companies in the country.
Therefore, the GPS has set up a secretariat which has been mandated to bring the various Private Security Organizations (PSOs) together and organize training programmes for security guards to improve their professionalism.
The law enforcement agency has therefore warned that any private security company that employs persons who have not been certified will be penalized.
The police bemoaned the fact that some private security companies had been using uniforms that were similar to that of the traditional security services in the country and called on the private security to desist from using those uniforms.
The police have therefore approved three sets of uniforms for all PSOs since the use of unapproved uniforms by private security companies is of great concern to the GPS.
“If we don’t come out with such initiatives, criminals could take advantage of the situation or infiltrate the organizations. The infiltrators could engage in robbery, stealing and other crimes, using unapproved weapons, uniforms and other forms of apparatus”, the police indicated.
They continued: “So in close collaboration with the Association of Private Security Organizations, Ghana (APSOG), we have approved three sets of uniforms to be used as official uniforms for all PSOs in the country”.
ACP Francis Aboagye Nyarko, Director General, Private Security Operations at the GPS, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting with members of APSOG in Takoradi on Thursday.
The meeting was to update the members of the association on actions being taken by the GPS to improve the operations of private security organizations.
He noted that the police had realized that the number of private security companies in the country had been increasing adding “we have detected some recalcitrant ones among them”.
He stressed the need for the various PSOs to comply with all the regulations governing their operations, including the registration of members, purchase of the new approved uniforms and proper handling of security gadgets.
He cautioned that failure by the PSOs to comply with the regulations would be met with sanctions, including the revocation of operating licences by the Ministry of the Interior.
He pointed out that his outfit would embark on inspection tours of all PSOs throughout the country to ensure compliance with the regulations.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi