Professor Ampiah presenting a certificate to a participant
In its quest to join hands with the security agencies in the country to fight crime, the University of Cape Coast has developed a Bachelor of Science curriculum in Police Science to help train personnel to become more professional in the fight against crime.
The curriculum, which is expected to commence in the 2020/ 2021 academic year, was developed with the help of five senior police officers. They are ACP Dr Sayibu Gariba, ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo, ACP Oscar Amevenku, Chief Superintendent Francis Yiribaare and Superintendent Peter Toobu.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, revealed this at a simulation exercise and closing ceremony of a three-week crime scene management and investigation training at the Detective Training Academy in Accra.
The course was organised for 60 personnel selected from the police and military cycles, and personnel of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) unit across the country.
Professor Ampiah said our world has changed from what it used to be a few decades ago hence the emergence of new technologies leading to tremendous increase in civilization and globalization.
“Crime activities have not only increased, they have also become sophisticated, organised and networked. The nature and scope of modern crimes, together with the high impact of terrorist activities every day, have created a strong and urgent need to dedicate resources and initiatives to prevent the new breed of sophisticated crimes,” he added.
He noted that it was for this reason that the University of Cape Coast in 2015 established the Department of Forensic Sciences and mandated it to train forensic experts in the security services to help the justice delivery system.
Professor Ampiah urged police personnel, criminal investigators, lawyers and judges to keep abreast of new trends in forensic investigation.
“A sitting judge must have an idea about how to interpret DNA evidence, crime scene reconstruction, fingerprint identification and we will encourage all professionals to get involved in the justice delivery system to upgrade their expertise in this new area of study,” he stressed.
The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department, Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, in an address, said the course content hinged on seven thematic areas including introduction to crime scene investigation, photography, crime scene sketching, evidence collection, impression evidence, fingerprint processing, simulation and report writing.
In his address, the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, said government had procured reagents for DNA test for the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service.
Also present was the Deputy Inspector General of Police, James Oppong Boanua; the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, UCC, Professor Justice Kwabena Sarfo; Head of Department of Forensic Sciences UCC, Dr Richmond Afoakwah; Deputy Director General of CID, ACP George Tweneboah, among other dignitaries.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey