IGP opens three-day workshop to strengthen police public relations

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has officially opened a three-day workshop for all Regional Public Relations Officers of the Ghana Police Service.

The workshop, which commenced on March 20, 2025, aims to strengthen and revamp the public affairs arm of the service while enhancing communication and public engagement at all levels, according to a statement posted on the service’s Facebook post.

It noted that during the IGP’s address, he highlighted the evolution of policing in the country and noted the need for the Police Service to work closely with communities to foster a safe and crime-free society.

“Additionally, the IGP indicated that, under his leadership, the current Police Administration will reactive and revive all Police Regional Public Affairs Officers to interact and meet the ever-evolving demands of our society and media partners.

He therefore urged the officers to take full advantage of the workshop to refine their skills, share experiences, and adopt modern communication approaches.”

He urged officers to take full advantage of the workshop, refine their skills, share experiences, and adopt modern communication approaches.

He also reminded them to uphold the core values and ethical standards of the Ghana Police Service in their duties. The IGP outlined three key pillars to guide their work:

1. Confidentiality and Transparency:Officers must protect the integrity of sensitive information while maintaining openness in their communication with the public.
2. Credibility and Impartiality:Media interactions must adhere to the highest standards of integrity and fairness.
3. Consistency in Messaging:Ensuring uniformity in police communication across all regions and units is essential for public trust.

The IGP was accompanied by several members of the Police Management Board (POMAB), including COP/Mr. Daniel Kwame Afriyie, COP/Dr. Ernest Kwabena Owusu, COP/Mr. Michael Nketia Frempong, COP/Mr. Iddi Lansah Seidu, COP/Mr. Peter Baba Atiniak, DCOP/Dr. David Agyeman Adjem, DCOP/Mr. Vance Gariba, DCOP/Ms. Lydia Yaako Donkor, and DCOP/Mr. Gabriel Prince Waabu.

This focus on the public affairs unit of the service under the new IGP is a shift from what existed under the previous IGP where the communicators of the service were redundant.

The immediate past IGP George Akuffo Dampare changed the way the police communicated with the media since he took office in 2021.

He used a centralised approach to information flow where no officer at the regional or district level could speak to issues with the media. Even at the national headquarters, information flow was extremely difficult as the Public Affairs unit was largely limited to releasing press statements on the social media accounts of the Police Service with little or no interviews or press briefings.

Although the media and other stakeholders complained about it and requested a shift to the existing communication channels, the former IGP was adamant.

Source: myjoyonline.com