Bolgatanga: Security agencies have been urged to strengthen their relationships and collaborate with communities, relevant stakeholders, and among themselves to enhance information sharing for the effective combatting of crime and emerging security threats. Security management cannot be achieved by security agencies working in isolation.
According to Ghana News Agency, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, serving as Technical Adviser to the Minister of the Interior, emphasized the importance of trust among security agencies and the public to ensure the timely flow of information needed to prevent crime and maintain peace and stability. COP Addo-Danquah made this call in Bolgatanga during the opening of a three-day training program aimed at security agencies in the Upper East Region and relevant public stakeholders.
The training, named 'Strengthening Inter-Agency Law Enforcement at REGSEC and Community Levels,' gathered representatives from various security agencies, Regional and District Security Councils, traditional authorities, political parties, civil society organizations, the media, youth groups, the Peace Council, and other community stakeholders. It aimed to equip participants with practical ways to improve information sharing, strengthen inter-agency cooperation, and deepen community engagement.
The initiative forms part of a pilot project implemented by the Ministry of the Interior with financial support from the Government of Denmark through the European Union's Security and Defence Initiative. The project aims to enhance collaboration among security agencies, regional and district security councils, and communities.
COP Addo-Danquah pointed out that the changing security landscape, particularly across Africa, requires collaborative efforts among security agencies, traditional authorities, political actors, civil society organizations, media, youth leaders, and communities. "Security today is defined by relationships. Relationships that are built on transparency, respect, and sustained engagement," she stated.
She urged participants to use the training to establish networks that would continue beyond the program, emphasizing that seemingly insignificant information could prevent crime or build peace when appropriately shared. The program, being a pilot initiative, aims to gather experiences and recommendations to inform similar training programs in other regions and districts.
Mr. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, highlighted the region's position as a border area, making collaboration between security agencies and the public particularly vital due to potential spillovers from instability and criminality in the Sahel. He identified emerging challenges such as chieftaincy and land disputes, transnational organized crime, irregular migration, cross-border criminality, violent extremism, trafficking, misinformation, disinformation, and the security implications of climate change, resource scarcity, and human mobility.
The Minister stressed the importance of strengthening information sharing, joint planning, coordinated operations, and intelligence-led interventions to effectively address these threats. "Peace is not a destination; it is a continuous process. It must be nurtured through sustained dialogue, responsive institutions, social cohesion, and inclusive governance," he asserted.
He called on participants to translate the knowledge and skills from the training into stronger coordination mechanisms, improved information sharing, and more effective community engagement.
DCOP John Ferguson Dzineku, the Upper East Regional Police Commander, shared that the Ghana Police Service had made significant progress in tackling armed robbery and criminal gangs in the region through intelligence-led operations and collaboration with other security agencies. "Policing is not done to the people, but is done with the people. Without trust, information does not flow. And without information, we cannot fight crime," he remarked.
Mr. Jonas Claes, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, noted that the workshop aimed to build stronger collaboration, coordination, and trust among law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. He emphasized that conflict prevention is crucial to preserving peace in Ghana, given its location within a volatile West African region. The EU has become an increasingly important security and political partner to Ghana, providing significant support to strengthen the country's security architecture, including more than 30 projects, equipment, and training as part of its security and defense cooperation with Ghana.