SIX policemen have been suspended after they were caught drinking at the Gordon’s police station while on duty.
NCD Metropolitan Supt Andy Bawa said he caught the six officers during a normal inspection round to the station last Thursday.
“They have been suspended for consuming alcohol while on duty in the police station,” Bawa said.
“This kind of behaviour is unethical and the officers involved have no respect for the police station.
“They will be dealt with seriously because police stations are not pubs or drinking places.
“Police officers at all times must respect and maintain discipline. They have a public responsibility to do so.”
Bawa warned police officers not to consume alcohol while on duty either in the police station, on a police vehicle or while out on operations.
“I have warned the Gordon police station commander that he should take command and control of his officers,” Bawa said.
He urged members of the public to report any officers they saw drinking while on duty to his office or the Boroko operations centre at the Boroko police station.
And in what could be a first for the constabulary in the country, Bawa revealed that he was contemplating the use of social media website Facebook to help cut down such practice by policeman and women in the city.
He said he was in the process of creating a Facebook page for the NCD operations command centre to allow members of the public to report such cases.
“The idea is to spread information because Facebook is a very powerful tool to inform the general public about the operations of the police in the city,” he said.
“This would also give the public the opportunity to report cases immediately to police in NCD to investigate.”