Accra, Oct.22, GNA — The Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB) on Friday donated 1,000 pieces of bullet proof vests and 1,000 units of ballistic helmets to the Ghana Police Service (GPS).
Mr John Awuah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAB, said even though the Police went out of their way to protect lives and property of citizens, they lacked enough resources to keep safe from harm.
The CEO said he was hopeful that the protective gear would mitigate the risks that Police personnel usually faced on duty.
He expressed appreciation to the Police Administration for the good working relationship they had maintained with the Association over the years and the protection they provided to banks in Ghana.
Mr Awuah said the Association was committed to the compliance of various directives associated with their work, notable amongst them being the use of the right armored vehicle for cash evacuation.
He said they were working with the banks, the IGP’s office, Bank of Ghana, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of National Security to procure the prescribed armored vehicles for use in place of the soft-skinned bullion vans.
Receiving the items on behalf of the GPS, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Patrick Atampugre Akolgo, Director-General (D-G), National Protection Directorate (NAPD), said the donation was a rare gesture and lauded GAB for the logistical support.
He said the gear would greatly enhance the safety of officers in their daily operations to protect life and property.
The D-G said crime fighting was a shared responsibility and it would only take collaborations and resource-sharing to bring crime to the barest minimum.
He said the Police administration under the leadership of Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), was working tirelessly to make Ghana safer.
“The Police administration is committed to giving our officers the best training, provide the necessary logistics and above all to continually introduce them to the best law enforcement practices anywhere in the world.
On behalf of the IGP and officers of the GPS we want to reiterate our goal of providing community safety and opportunities for collaboration,” he said.
Mr Akolgo said the IGP with the tacit support from the BoG had initiated some plans to deepen their collaboration with the GAB and the Central Bank to manage the risk of robbery attacks on cash in transit vehicles and personnel, and also to strengthen security around all financial institutions in the country.
GNA