In the Greater Accra Region, the Ghana Police Service has increased patrols on the campuses of selected universities and other educational institutions.
To maintain security on the campuses, police horse and motorcycle riders, intelligence collecting teams in plain clothing, and mobile snap checks have been deployed.
Officers from the Airport, Legon, and Adenta Police Commands, as well as officers from the Police Mounted Squadron, make up the police squads.
This is part of a new police-public interaction strategy aimed at making communities safer. Police commanders from the divisional, district, and station levels visited the University of Ghana, Legon, the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Valley View University, Oyibi, and some institutions near the universities on Friday to interact with their management, staff, students, and commercial entities.
In conjunction with community people, they devised solutions to solve security concerns in certain locations.
The restrictions are in accordance with efforts by the Police Administration, led by Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to address the country's security crisis.
Other activities include a regional trip with members of the Police Management Board (POMAB) to meet with various stakeholders on security issues.
Various regional, divisional, and district police commanders are continuing the drill, which has so far taken place in the Tema, Accra, Savannah, and Bono Police areas.
Objective
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwesi Ofori, Director-General of the Police Service's Public Affairs Directorate, indicated in an interview that the exercise was part of a concept aimed at regaining the public's support, confidence, and respect.
He said that it was also part of a goal to provide responsive policing in diverse areas around the country after learning about their security requirements and devising tactics to address them.
DCOP Ofori also stated that his organization has begun changes and plans to restore public trust and legitimacy in the service by instilling professionalism.
"In order to conduct their job successfully, the police need public trust. We are employing numerous trust-building tactics to acquire the public's confidence in acknowledgment of this.
"This is because when people trust the police, they can operate more efficiently and effectively, and residents will feel safer." "Because the police symbolize the state's power, faith in the police reflects the legitimacy of the state as a whole," he added.
DCOP Ofori expressed optimism that contacts with diverse stakeholders will improve police trust and communication.