FIPAG IN TALKS WITH IGP TO HELP GHANAIAN FILMMAKERS WITH POLICE ACCOUTREMENTS

Around the third quarter of last year, news broke on Peace FM that, the Ghana Police Service would not allow filmmakers to use the service’s accoutrements in their films.

Speaking to the then Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Mr Cephas Arthur, he explained on ‘Entertainment Review’ that the service is forced to come out with such directive due to the image most Ghanaian filmmakers put out there about the Ghana Police Service in their movies and also, majority of the filmmakers do not secure the service’s dresses through the proper procedures.

In his own words, Mr Cephas Arthur said “we have put a ban on the use of our police accoutrements by our filmmakers. We came to that conclusion after we realized that some of them do not seek proper permission from the service before using our accoutrements.

Also, the acts by some of the actors who play the role of police men in the movies are a total misrepresentation of what the Ghana Police Service is. Their depiction of the policemen or police service cuts a slur on our image.

I must emphasize however that, we are not saying we will never allow any filmmaker to use our accoutrements. They should use the proper procedures to acquire them and paint the right image of what the police service is and stand for.”

Asked what the police accoutrements meant, he disclosed that it’s a collective noun for guns, handcuffs, attire, police station, personnel, cells, etc. that the police or security services use for their profession.

Some filmmakers in Kumawood came public, crying foul for the Ghana Police Service to rescind their decision but no one heard any response from the police service or a plea from the quarters of the then FIPAG executive headed by Mr. Augustine Abbey aka Idikoko to the police authorities.

With new executives in FIPAG, GhanaCelebrities.Com called in on the office of FIPAG and spoke with the President, Mr. Stephen Asare Hackman on this issue. “Well, I once heard the Ghana police service came out with such a directive.

However, I wish to inform you that the executives of FIPAG have been in talks with the current IGP to help remove the ban on the use of the police accoutrements in our movies. That issue is being resolved I must say.

“I am very sure that they will call for the scripts from the filmmakers, peruse it, and perhaps, coach the filmmakers on how a professionally trained police man dresses, hold the gun, cause arrest; interrogate suspects, handle suspects, and others.”