With the current ongoing debate on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Life (LGBTQI), the police administration has reiterated its stance in applying the constitutional laws in the fight against the LQBTQI in Ghana.
Section 104(1)(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) bears sole responsibility for purportedly abhorring consensual same-sex intercourse and the Police administration is mandated to effect arrest of anyone when an evidence of carnal or unnatural carnal knowledge is proved.
At a ceremony to commission a 200 capacity conference hall for the central regional police command, the Inspector-General of the Ghana Police Service Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, indicated that the police will continue to act in accordance with the law as long as they remain unchanged and urged the citizenry and the police not to take the law into their own hands.
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Currently there are some laws on this issue and we in the police will enforce them as far as the law is concerned. Therefore for as long as those statutes remain on our books, we are going to enforce it. If the people of Ghana by someway decide to legitimize it and it is taken off our books, we are okay with it. But until that is done, we will ensure that the laws are complied” he added.
Highlighting on the recent suicide incidents amongst some personnel within the service, he disclosed the force’s intension to mainstream training in mental health at the various levels of police training in the country to build their mental well-being and also called for more collaborations between the public and the public in the fights against crime in the country.
He said “It has become necessary to mainstream training in mental health at all levels of police training institutions. The police administration is working closely with the Ghana Psychology Association to build the mental capacity of personnel to overcome emotional domestic and job-related issues which have the tendency to trigger suicide among some personnel”.
On her part, the Central Regional commander DCOP Habiba Twumasi-Sarpong expressed gratitude to corporate bodies and individuals who contributed to the construction of the conference hall adding that the new hall will help the police combat crime since conference meetings and training form integral part of the police work.
