Editorial: Police Must Be Vigilant In Ensuring Peaceful Elections

As the electoral season approaches and events leading to the December 7 general elections gather momentum, the importance of proactive and vigilant policing has become highly imperative.

This is because the police would lead and play a pivotal role in maintaining law and order and also ensure the safety of citizens before, during and after the December 7 elections.

As a matter of fact, the role, as played by the police in upholding the integrity of the democratic process over the years cannot be overstated and, therefore, the competence of the institution cannot be equally overlooked.

However, it is obvious to state emphatically that the dynamics of every election, since the inception of the current constitution, are completely different and more so, this year’s election appears to be more critical.

On page 3 of today’s issue of The Chronicle, we have reported that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, head of the election security taskforce, has called on political parties to address any concerns about the electoral process through proper legal channels. He warned that any attempt to disrupt the peace will be met with legal action.

Much as this is good news, we also hold the view that as a forefront security institution mandated by the constitution to maintain law and order, the police service must critically zoom into intelligence gathering and analysis to identify potential hotspots and troublemakers as campaigns gather momentum.

Admittedly, enhancing patrols and surveillance in sensitive areas and responding swiftly to reports of electoral malfeasance or related violence, are never beyond the GPS as the service together with other sister security services in the past, have ensured absolute peace during elections in this country before.

A disturbing issue that has come up is the widespread allegation by the minority Members of Parliament that the GPS was secretly recruiting some rogue elements affiliated to the ruling party into the service who would be unleashed on the election day.

As a matter of fact, it is important for the GPS to understand that such damning allegations as posited by the main opposition, if true, have the propensity to negatively affect its image and create disaffection for the service.

It is in the light of these and several others that the need for the GPS to be proactive and put it house together and take steps to redeem its image by dealing swiftly with such allegations in order to continue to win the trust of the public has become critical.

If the popular saying that coming events always cast their shadows is anything to go by, then the police must critically examine what lies ahead, as Ghanaians prepare for the December 7 polls.

The paper would like to call on the police to concentrate on mapping out strategies that could effectively enable it to highly anticipate and address potential security threats ahead of the elections.

The GPS must also iron out its differences among its rank and file and unite as a formidable security agency to be able to provide adequate security and protection for the citizenry before, during and after the elections.

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