PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE

The Public Affairs Department has been part of the Service since 1969. The first Officer ever appointed as the head of the unit (then Public Relations Officer) was Superintendent / Mr. S.S. Arthur in the year 1973.  Over the years, it was rebranded into Public Affairs Directorate with Superintendent /Mr. Cephas Arthur as the current Director.

Structure of the Directorate

The head is usually assisted by a deputy who is also stationed at the headquarters. There is also a station officer, who is of the rank of either a Chief Inspector or Inspector. In addition to the above, staff at the headquarters directorate are distributed to nine (9) Units within the Public Affairs Directorate, which are as follows:

 

• Administration
• Public /Media Relations
• Photography
• Media Monitoring including Social Mediat

 

At the Regional level, each Police Region is supposed to have a Public Relations unit headed by a Senior Police Officer of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police or higher.

Whereas the headquarters Director is responsible to the Inspector General of Police, the Regional Public Relations Officer is accountable to both the Regional Commander and the Director of Public Affairs at the Police Headquarters.

 

Roles & Functions

The Public Affairs outfit of the Ghana Police Service performs many functions, including:

 

• Serving as the bridge between the general public and Ghana Police Service;
• Serving as the mouthpiece of the Service.
• Formulation of public relations policies for the Police Service;
• Advise to the Administration on matters of public relations;
• Educating and informing and sensitizing the public about the operations and activities of the Service.
• Monitoring all forms of media and advising the police administration.
• Implementing planned programme of action to project the image of the Service;

 

The demand for dissemination and sharing of Police information, operation and activities continue to increase.

In the past the watch phrase was “for security reason”. “For security reason” not much information about the police could be divulged to the public. However, with the growth/advancement of our democracy, the Service is held accountable to the people for its actions and operations.

 

This issue of accountability continues to treble. The Police therefore, have established a Media Monitoring and Social Media Centre, Criminal Investigations Department, Motto Traffic and Transport Department, Police Hospital, Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit. There are also plans to create public relations outfits in the units of the Service including the Police Band, Police Training School, Marine Police Unit, Mounted Squadron, Police Divisions and Districts. The Police Administration also plans to revive the teaching of basic Public Relations principles at the basic levels of Police training.

 

Currently, Media and Public Relations are given some slots on the training of Senior Police Officers at the Ghana Police Command and Staff College and the Police Academy. With the advancement of Information Technology and our progression on the ladder of democratic governance even the sky ceases to be the limit for Public Relations in the Ghana Police Service.

The service has the objective of establishing PR outfits at the Police Station level in the near future.

 

The Ghana Police Service wants to live by, and in fact, is approximating our motto: “Service with Integrity”.

 

IGP INDUCTED INTO OFFICE

The IGP, Mr David Asante-Apeatu has been officially inducted into office at a colourful service at the Ghana Police Church on 23rd April.

GERMAN EMBASSY DONATES

The German Embassy in Accra and the Goethe Institute has donated musical instruments worth €8000 to the Ghana Police Central Band.

IGP AT AGBOBLOSHIE, ACCRA

The IGP has visited one of the victims of the recent clashes at Agbogbloshie in Accra who was still on admission at the Korle Bu.