The Ghana Police Service has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Cape Coast to run a Post- Graduate Diploma Certificate in Security Studies.
The nine months course, to be run at the Police Academy in Accra, will encourage police officers to upgrade their knowledge in security issues to enhance performance and improve service delivery.
Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), signed for the Service, while Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC signed on behalf of the University.
The MOU was signed on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the CADET Officers Course 50 in Accra.
Mr Oppong- Boanuh explained that the course would be organised in three phases, with each phase having a period of three months for a cumulative period of nine months.
Phase one will cover the traditional Police subject areas, phase two will entail academic courses to be organised by the University of Cape-Coast, while phase three will focus on practical programmes to enhance the knowledge and skill of course participants on contemporary policing.
He said the partnership forms part of the Police Academy Training and Curriculum Review Committee’s recommendations established in 2020 to affiliate the Academy to a University to add value to the certificate of participants at the end of the course.
Mr Oppong-Boanuh said the partnership would enable graduates from the Academy to use the acquired certificate in pursuit of their future academic laurels or other viable ventures.
“The collaboration is part of the Police’s strategic plans to build the capacity of personnel and improve training in line with international standards and best practices and also meet the expectation of the citizenry in security issues,” he said.
The IGP advised the participants to take every facet of the course serious and build their capacity to improve service delivery.
“Let discipline, discernment, dedication and commitment remain your hallmark in order to complete the course successfully. You must be able to think outside the box in your duties as Senior Police Officers.”
Mr Oppong-Boanuh urged the officers to obverse the COVID-19 safety protocols seriously and adhere to the guidelines provided by health professionals to prevent infections and spread of the virus at the training course.
He said the Police Administration would continue to monitor progress of the course to ensure its successful completion, stressing that effective monitoring and feedback mechanisms had been put in place to ensure the timely response to concerns at the training.
Prof. Boampong stated that the affiliation would offer the University the opportunity to contribute towards the training of officers to be highly skilled, competent and professionals in security activities and thereby enhance peace and security in the country.
The Professor said the University had already entered into similar collaboration with the Ghana Police Service to run certificate in Forensic Science Programme for personnel of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Service to equip officers carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.
“It is my hope that with the successful commencement of the programme, immediate steps should be taken to develop curricula in MBA/MSC/MPhil in Security and Peace Studies at the Staff and Command College as well as Diploma in Security Studies for the training of recruits at the various Police Training Institutions”.
He urged the Police Service to provide innovative ways of funding and running of the programme to ensure its sustainability.
GNA
