One of the things the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Quaye, has to look at is the facilities at the various police stations in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
At the moment, the rains are here, occupants of the various barracks in the metropolis cannot cook for their families, bath, or attend to the call of nature because there are no kitchens, water, toilet facilities, bath houses and other basic social amenities at the barracks.
There are no toilet facilities to serve those who visit the satellite police stations under the control of the Central Police Station.
Visitors to various police stations have to stand behind buildings to pass water.
It is a fact that Mr Quaye just took office as the IGP but the fact also remains that he has been in the system long enough to know its problems.
The police do not have an officers’ mess, since the place designated for such a purpose on the beach road in Takoradi has been sold to a church.
Therefore, these problems should not be new to the police administration.
At the Takoradi Central Market or Market Circle Police Station, there is no urinal for the use by officers. Where they use as a police station was an old market stall with very poor ventilation which had been converted into a police station.
Therefore, should an officer develop stomach problem or respond to the call of nature he has to abandon the duty post and go in search of a place of convenience.
At the central police barracks, part of the nine blocks is waterlogged and for years officers and their families have had to walk through mud to get to their rooms.
This came to the notice of the Daily Graphic when the reporter passed through the barracks recently. There are no kitchens, and the wives of police officers are compelled to cook in the open.
If the police station at Effiekuma should collapse today, it should not be news, Mr IGP, because the old mud house that was converted into a police station is very weak.
On many occasions policemen have been blamed for non-performance, but the hell the policemen and their families go through at the various police barracks and stations is so much that they would be left with little time to think about society.
In the metropolis, police have to take public transport with suspects in handcuffs, or walk in public with the suspects.
A tour of the police facilities shows clearly that if the officers had other options they would have abandoned their posts.
This reporter was at one of the police stations where he asked an officer to show him their “gents” or urinal. In response the officer asked the reporter if he was a stranger. “Master,” he said, “it is better you go behind the building and urinate or you will do it on yourself.”
If the basic facilities such as a urinal cannot be provided for the police at their workplaces and decent accommodation is not in place how do Ghanaians expect them to perform to the best of their ability?
The issue of accommodation is no more news, according to some of the officers. Many blame the police administration for not making any effort in the past to take into consideration the needs of the personnel before recruiting new personnel.
“Every recruitment exercise the police undertake they employ carpenters, masons, plumbers, tailors, auto and electronic mechanics, engineers and architects, among others.
“But for no reason, tailors have become administrators. Masons, plumbers, carpenters are presently doing general police duties,” said a frustrated policeman.
If what the said officers are saying is true, what is the job of the tailor in the police service, why would the police advertise for the procurement of police accoutrements and maintenance work on police buildings?
Can’t the tailors in the police service make all the police uniforms, and would the masons and architects not be able to take care of maintenance at the various barracks and provide basic urinal facilities for police stations?
Why are the masons in the police service not made to carry out maintenance works at various police barracks and the poor officers have to use their meagre salary to carry out maintenance works?
The problems at various police stations in the metropolis are the same all over the country.
At some of the remote parts of the region, the officers do not even have water to drink. At some of the stations, they do not have pens and station diary.
There is the need to provide better facilities for our policemen to work so that in return we would expect efficient and effective policing from them.
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