The members of the Association of Private Security Organisations, Ghana (APSOG), have agreed to the dress code, which is in line with Legislative Instruments (LI) 1571 (1992) and 1579 (1994).

Prior to the coming into effect of the regime of wearing common uniform, the Ghana Police Service on October 25, 2017, gave all private security agencies operating in the country a one-year moratorium to comply with the LI.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Francis Aboagye Nyarko, Director-General of the Private Security Operations Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, speaking at a press conference on the new private security organisations uniform on Tuesday in Accra, said failure to comply with the LI by Management of private security agencies, could attract sanctions such as revocation of license.

Others are a fine not exceeding GHC1 million, one-year imprisonment or both.

He noted that measures had been put in place by the Police to ensure that all private security organisations comply with the directives, adding that, private security organisations were to partner the police in protecting the citizenry.

Captain Anthony K. Acquah (rtd), Chairman, APSOG, said since the formation of the Association, some 20 years ago, there had not been an official body to oversee and monitor its operations.

He said as result, there had been a proliferation of security companies most of which did not associate with the APSOG and tried to operate with little or no regard to existing regulations.

He said some of them used uniforms similar to state security agencies, while others used weapons contrary to existing regulations as per the LI 1571 of the Police Service Act (1992), which regulates activities of the private security operations.

“The establishment of the Private Security Operators Directorate of the Police Headquarters, headed by a Director-General, within the last year, has managed to bring some sanity in the operations of the Private Security Sector,” Captain Acquah said.

“We, of the APSOG are grateful to the Police Administration and believe that the Directorate has come to stay to help the Private Security to properly play its complimentary role to the Police service of our dear nation, Ghana,” he stated.

Mr Shadrack Mensah, Deputy Director, Ministry of the Interior, said currently, there are 265 private security organisations duly registered in the country, and that, the Ministry was helping to strengthen professionalism among private security firms.