IGP makes changes in police command

Page 16: Daily Graphic, March 10, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has made command changes in the Police Administration in line with what he termed “the exigencies of effective management and operational controls”. The Accra Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP), Ms Rose Bio Atinga is to take over as Director-General/Administration at the Police Headquarters while Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Patrick Timbillah, moves from the Ashanti Region to take over the Accra Region. The Tema Regional Commander, DCOP, Mr Augustine Gyenning, will replace Mr Timbillah as the police boss in the Ashanti Region. In other changes, DCOP, Mrs Mina Ayim, moves as head of Community Policing to take over as Director-General/Welfare while the substantive officer for Welfare, DCOP Rev David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin takes over as Director-General/Technical, both at the National Headquarters. The second-in-command at Community Policing, Chief Superintendent, Mr Mohammed Fuseini Suraji, will take over as Commander. DCOP, Mr Maxwell Sikapasco Atingane, moves to Tema Region as Commander while the Deputy Western Regional Commander, DCOP Osabarima Oware Asare Pinkro II, takes over as head of Service Workshops/Accra. Osabarima Pinkro II will be replaced by the Tarkwa Divisional Commander, ACP, Mr Fred Agyapong Asare. The Dansoman Divisional Police Commander, ACP, Mr Paul Manly Awuni, is to take up post as second-in-command, Operations, at the National Headquarters. With the exception of the changes involving DCOP Ayim, DCOP Ampa-Bennin and Chief Supt. Suraji, whose changes take effect from April 1, 2012, the rest take effect from Monday, March 12, 2012. In a related development, the Police Administration has created a special unit, Police Paramedics and Social Services, as part of its operational reforms. To be located at the National Headquarters, the unit will formulate policies relating to health services within the Ghana Police Service, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the policies, advise the IGP on all health-related issues affecting personnel of the service. A correspondence to this effect signed by the IGP and issued to all Regional, Divisional, District and Unit Commanders said the new unit would also collaborate with the Director-General/Welfare to provide maximum medical support to personnel of the service and also collaborate with the Director-General, Services to ensure that the needed health infrastructure and logistics of the service were identified and proposals made to the IGP for consideration. The Police Paramedics and Social Services Unit, which will be headed by an officer not above the rank of a DCOP, will also work with other stakeholders in the health sector to identify areas of co-operation that will maximise the interest of the service as well as to undertake any other responsibilities that will be assigned to the unit by the IGP.