Acting IGP took over Ghana Police Service

Story: Mary Mensah 
THE Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIGP) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, took over yesterday as acting IGP.
The outgoing IGP, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, begins his official terminal leave prior to retirement and his deputy has been directed by President John Dramani Mahama to act until further notice.
Mr Alhassan was enlisted into the Service in 1979 as a Chief Inspector of Police, graduating from the Police College in 1980 as Assistant Superintendent of Police, with honours.
He has held many command appointments nationally and internationally. He has served as a career officer in all command levels from the field to the headquarters.
He has served as a staff instructor at the Police College, district commander, divisional commander and regional police commander in various parts of the country and before his appointment as DIGP, Mr Alhassan was the Director-General of Administration at the Police Headquarters.
He was once the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Police Operations at the Police Headquarters in 2003, having earlier served at the same place as Assistant Staff Officer to the IGP between 1981 and 1984 on two occasions.
His contribution to the development of the service includes a wide range of law enforcement advice, guidance, direction, as well as reforms and restructuring initiatives to the service and various national law enforcement agencies across the world.
 He is widely credited with the introduction of neighbourhood watch policing (Community Policing) in Ghana in 1984, while as a district officer, the tent city policing concept in Tema as Regional Commander and the establishment of the Highway Patrol Unit at the Police HQ as the Deputy Commissioner Operations, as part of innovations to make the police more proactive, visible, accessible and responsive to community needs and crime trend in the country.
His initiative, good operational planning and innovation significantly contributed to the widely applauded police professional feats and crowd management standards achieved in recent high-profile public events in the country.
His international appointments and contributions have included various appointments with the United Nations and other international organisations.
He was appointed Interim United Nations Police Advisor to the UN Secretary-General at the UNHQ, New York in 2007, having been earlier appointed UN Police Commissioner for UN Mission in Liberia in 2005.
Between 1999 and 2003, Mr M. A. Alhassan was appointed Desk Officer at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, responsible for Mission Management in Europe, Latin America and the Middle-East.
He also served as Station and District commander with the UN Mission in Namibia ( UNTAG) and International Police Task Force (IPTF) Weapon Instructor in Bosnia Herzegovina. 
He has extensive legacies in the UN circles including the present reforms and restructuring initiatives of the Liberian National Police Education.
 He successfully completed studies in National and International Security from the John Kennedy School, Harvard University, Boston USA.
 He holds an MSc degree in Police Administration and Criminology from the University of Cardiff, UK and a BA degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon.
He has attended numerous management and leadership training programmes across the world as a resource person.
Between 1987 and 1999, he was a lecturer at the University of Ghana (Police Administration).
The acting IGP has made  extensive presentations and research and write-up contributions to national and international seminars/workshops on varied policing areas  including Ghana Police: Forces of Order;  Community Policing in Ghana; Internal Crisis Management, Ghana Police Service Roles, Capabilities and Limitations,  the Role of the United Nations  Civilian Police in UN Peacekeeping Operations; Policing Election - Election Security, and many others.