Kwabena Otuo Acheampong calls for high-level military and police committee

Mr Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, a Security Expert has advocated a high-level military and police committee to be established to set a standard operating procedure on matters of joint military and police operations.

He said joint military and police operations have become an established procedure; therefore, there is a need to set up a “High-Level Military and Police Committee” to set out ground rules and standard operating procedures in accordance with best international practices and local dynamics.

Mr Acheampong, who is a Law Enforcement Officer has identified some operational hiccups under the current dispensation, which include the issue of trust and transparency. While the police felt ostracized in the planning of operations, the military did not trust the police.

Mr Acheampong stated during engagement with the Ghana News Agency in Tema that the unified command structure under Operation Vanguard, which was launched in 2017 as a joint military and police operation to deal with illegal mining, was also problematic.

“There were instances where the military tried to enforce military regulations on the police on disciplinary issues, which never worked. “While the commanding officer had powers of command, the second in command, who was a police officer, did not possess those powers,” he noted.

The Law Enforcement Officer explained that “there were instances where the military and the police were involved in the same misconducts during Operation Vanguard or other joint military and police operations, which resulted in the military personnel being reduced in rank, but the same could not be applied to the police personnel.

“While conceding the fact that the joint and hybrid nature of Operation Vanguard should be encouraged, the command structures to deal with issues of discipline should be separated,” the Security Expert suggested.

He recommended that the rules of the military should be enforced by the military while the police command deals with police officers on disciplinary issues.

He also identified other problems that a High-Level Military and Police Committee could deal with, including trust: “The military believed the police could leak information to their local counterparts on intended operations. The police also believed the lack of openness by the military, which led operations, meant they had been compromised”.

The Security Expert noted that the issues of mistrust and lack of transparency in military and police operations should be addressed by encouraging regular and sustained joint training and interaction between the two institutions.

Future joint tasks must be executed together in practical terms: training, deployment, planning, and execution of all operations must be conducted transparently and jointly.

He recommended that during the operation, any arrests and seizures made in joint military police operations be handed over immediately to the local police station.

“Where suspects are detained, their articles should also be retrained there. Under no circumstances should the articles of suspects be in the custody of persons or places other than where they are detained.

“The Police are better equipped to handle exhibits and have the structures to ensure accountability and chain of custody,” he noted.

Mr Acheampong also noted that all searches of suspects and places should be carried out with strict decency and should be done solely by the police.

“The military should just cordon and provide the needed protection, observe searches, and take notes on articles seized. Under no circumstances should searches be carried out haphazardly or by the military,” he said.

He also recommended that military and police joint operations should envisage prosecutions and convictions by following arrest procedures and due process of law.

In spite of the operational hiccups, the Security Expert commended the military and civil police for the numerous operations the two security entities had undertaken together to restore internal security.

He explained that whenever internal security issues overwhelm the police, the military is normally called upon to either assist or, in most cases, take over from the police, restore law and order, and eventually withdraw so that the police can continue their traditional role of maintaining law and order.