Akufo-Addo buys 3 choppers for police

The Ghana Police Service will take delivery of three helicopters, made up of two gazelle light attack helicopters and one Airbus 350 helicopter in November this year to enhance its work, President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced.

He said the hangars for the helicopters, located at the National Police Training School, have been completed and six officers, who will fly these helicopters, “have completed their training in South Africa”, Mr Akufo-Addo said when he spoke at the graduation ceremony of the 50th cadet officers’ course in Accra on Friday, 1 October 2021.

The president promised to buy the choppers for the police in his 2018 State of the Nation Address.

“Since I came to office in January 2017, a total of 568 vehicles including 15 operational buses have been presented by the government to the Service, a feat unprecedented in its history”, the president noted.

Apart from the existing Formed Police Unit in Accra, the president said “an additional 22 light armoured vehicles have been procured for use by the FPUs to be established in November in the Northern, Upper East, and Ashanti Regions”.

“In the next one-and-a-half years, FPUs will be established in the remaining regions that do not have FPUs,” he promised.

At the same ceremony, the president said Acting Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has vindicated his decision to appoint him to the position.

“I’m confident that once the necessary processes are completed, which I’m sure will be soon, he’ll become our nation’s 23rd Inspector General of Police”, the president said.

Dr Dampare was appointed to the position in July this year and took office on 1 August.

The former Director-General in charge of Administration of the Ghana Police Service took over from Mr James Oppong-Boanuh.

Since the assumption of office, Dr Dampare has instituted some measures, such as the establishment of a horse patrol unit among others.

Also, the president said the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies will deal decisively with criminals in the country.

“I’m aware the recent incidents of violent crimes in some parts of the country have generated safety and security concerns from several sections of the populace”, Mr Akufo-Addo said.

“I want to assure Ghanaians that the Police Service and, indeed, all the other security services, are determined to deal decisively with the threats posed by dangerous criminals and criminal syndicates,” he noted.

Within a week, robbers on motorbikes, in separate incidents, accosted two people at gunpoint – a woman in traffic at Apenkwa and a man at Weija – and robbed them.

The woman had just cashed 29,000 from the bank.

The robbers took it all away.

The president urged the general public to assist the police to smoke out such criminals.

“We can help them succeed in this endeavour if we urge the police and the other security services on and give them as much support and cooperation in the fight as we can”.

“The government, in recognition of the difficulties and dangers confronting police personnel in the discharge of their duties, remains committed to resourcing the service through the provision of adequate personnel and logistics to enable them to deliver on their mandate,” he said.