The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has reaffirmed government’s support for the Ghana Police Service in combating vigilantism and strengthening professionalism within the service.

Speaking at the official opening of the Police Regional Commanders’ Conference held at the Police Headquarters in Accra, the minister said the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999) is explicit that such groups are illegal and must not be tolerated.

“There should be no forces for the protection of any person or group except those authorized by the state. Act 999 is clear on this matter. These groups are illegal and should not be tolerated,” Hon. Muntaka stated.

He assured regional commanders of government’s full backing to enforce the law and protect personnel undergoing training. The minister also issued a directive banning the unauthorized recording and circulation of videos and images of police recruits in training.

“Training schools allowing videos and other content of recruits undergoing training to be recorded and shared on social media — this practice must stop,” he said.

“I therefore direct all service commanders to ensure that appropriate controls are put in place to prevent the unauthorized recording, publication, and circulation of images or videos of recruits in training.”

He emphasized that training schools are institutions of discipline and professionalism. “They must not become platforms for content that compromises the privacy, dignity, or security of trainees,” the minister added.

Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the conference was convened at a time when the nation demands more from its police than ever before. “Ghanaians are not asking for perfection; they are asking for presence. They are asking for professionalism,” the IGP said.

“They are asking for a police service that does not merely react to crime but prevents it. That does not merely enforce the law but upholds justice, and that does not merely occupy space in the community but earns its trust.”

He described these expectations as “the minimum standards of a modern police service” that must be met.

COP Yohuno stressed that the Ghana Police Service does not operate in isolation but is part of a wider national security architecture. He said the effectiveness of the police depends on understanding how all security agencies fit together.

To enhance security cooperation, the Police Administration, in collaboration with the National Security Council, has arranged for resource persons to engage commanders on the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act.

Report by Bernard K Dadzie Greater